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OUR LITTLE WORLD 


TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF 


/ 

RUDOLPH LINDAU 


BY 

CORNELIA DAY /WILDER. 



ST. PAUL: 

PUBLISHED BY PRICE, MC GILL & CO. 

1889 , 




Copyright 1889 , by 
CORNELIA DAY WILDER. 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


CHAPTER I. 

In the year 1859, as the Japanese harbor of 
Yokohama had just been opened to European 
traffic, one of the first visitors who arrived, 
coming on the steamer from Shanghai, was a 
tall, slight young Irishman with light hair 
and blue eyes. 

As the boats were being lowered, prepara- 
tory to landing the passengers, he stood on 
the deck carelessly whistling, but at the same 
time scanning attentively the little city which 
lay before him in the form of a circle, and 
which then resembled more closely a small 
fishing village, with its scattered wooden 
houses of one story each, than the future 
metropolis of the newborn commerce estab- 
lished between Europe and Japan. He soon 
discovered a small, mean-looking house very 
near the landing place over which the English 
flag floated gaily, and noticing the exact posi- 


2 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


tion of the building, he stepped composedly 
into the boat where the other passengers 
were already assembled, without interrupt- 
ing his whistling. A few moments later he 
sprang lightly on the shore, and without ask- 
ing anybody the direction, as one who is 
thoroughly posted as to the way which is to 
be taken, turned to the left and walked di- 
rectly to the house, — that of the English con- 
sul. 

An old acquaintance of Yokohama could 
not have been more at home than was this 
apparent stranger. A robust constable stood 
before the entrance of the office. “Is the con- 
sul at home?” asked the newcomer, with a 
slight motion of the head towards the door. 
The official seemed to be decidedly displeased 
at the familiarity which his superior showed 
him. He replied solemnly and respectfully : 
“Her Majesty’s consul, Mr. Mitchell, is in his 
working room.” 

The traveler, upon whom this remonstrance 
had no effect, wanted to go into the house 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


3 


without further ado ; but the constable 
barred the door-way with his broad shoulders 
and said roughly: “Give me your card.” The 
person addressed looked with astonishment 
at this representative of the English police in 
Japan; and then drawing his card from his 
pocket with a quiet smile, he said: “Well, 
then, here, carry this in.” The policeman dis- 
appeared without a word; he, in a moment, 
reappeared and motioned with his hand to 
the door which he had just closed behind him 
and on which a piece of paper was posted 
with the following words: “Enter without 
knocking.” He glanced quickly at the paper, 
and following the injunction, he turned the 
handle abruptly and stepped with a percept- 
ible tread into a large, well-lighted room in 
which a young, blonde man sat, possessing 
an attractive face, and who appeared to be 
absorbed in the perusal of a large register 
which lay open before him. 

The gentleman waited, possibly for five sec- 
onds, then, seeing that no notice was paid 


4 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


him, he approached the table and said in 
rather a loud tone of voice, which, however, 
had a friendly ring to it: 

“I stepped in as a British subject to regis- 
ter.” And at the same time he drew a pass- 
port from his pocket, which he spread out 
before the consul's eyes. 

The consul lifted his head, and for a moment 
the two young men regarded each other 
attentively. “Did you arrive to-day?” asked 
the consul. “ Ten minutes ago.” “With the 
Cadix, Captain McGregor?” “Yes.” “Did 
the steamer carry the post?” “To whom is 
it consigned?” “Messrs. Dana & Company.” 
“H’m, H’m.” 

During this conversation the passport was 
being examined, and found to be in perfect 
order. The consul opened another thick book 
of which the first page was scarcely half full, 
and copied from the paper lying before him, 
“Thomas Ashbourne, British Subject, Dublin, 
Ireland, Civil Engineer.” Then he wrote on 
the passport with red ink the number thirteen. 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


5 


Ashbourne turned his head a trifle to one 
side, raised his eyebrows, drew his mouth to- 
gether as if about to whistle, and looked 
thoughtfully at the ominous number. His 
expression had something so comical and so 
open as to invite confidence immediately, yes, 
even familiarity, but her Majesty’s consul 
was, in the eyes of the natives, and particular- 
ly in his own, a most important personage, 
and Mr. Mitchell was not in the least inclined 
to enter on a friendly footing with this Mr. 
Thomas Ashbourne, without knowing more 
about him. Although, in spite of his well- 
worn traveling suit, he had every appearance 
of being unmistakably a gentleman, he con- 
tented himself by saying without a shadow 
of a smile, “Five dollars perquisites, if you 
please.” 

Ashbourne put his hand in his pocket, and 
taking out a good deal of small money, he 
counted the required sum without taking his 
eyes from the passport. 

After a pause he asked with studied polite- 


6 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


ness: “May I inquire what the number thir- 
teen indicates with which my passport is so 
beautifully adorned ?” “ It is your roll num- 

ber in the consul’s directory.” “Indeed!” 
quietly observed Ashbourne. “Well, then, 
consul, I have drawn a deucedly bad num- 
ber.” “Well, somebody had to draw it.” 
“That is all true; somebody must be drowned 
or hanged this year also. I have the pleasure 
of calling the most unfortunate number in 
the whole lot my own. That is the penalty 
of wishing to amuse one’s self at every oppor- 
tunity. Why did I wager with myself that 
without asking the way from anybody, I 
would be the first passenger from the Cadix 
to arrive here? If I had but joined my com- 
panions I might have been registered five 
minutes later; but then, a possibility could 
have existed, somebody else might have 
termed himself the happy possessor of the 
unlucky number. I would gladly have yielded 
it to him.” 

“That is an unchristian-like spirit,” re- 


OUR little world. 


7 


marked the consul, so far forgetting his 
official importance as to condescend to speak 
with a harmless mortal as anyone else would 
have done. 

“I do not agree with you at all, Consul 
Mitchell. It is positive, ill luck must occur in 
the world, but everybody has the prerogative 
of hoping he will not be the victim. As far 
as I am concerned, all the misfortune in the 
world which every day’s store adds to, may 
fall to the part of my neighbor, and I shall 
never be guilty of envying him his lot in life. 
There come three traveling companions. I 
must not detain you longer. Good morning, 
Consul Mitchell.” He bowed pleasantly and 
left the room. 

The three persons who, after Ashbourne’s 
exit, presented themselves before the consul 
were merchants, and, without an unneces- 
sary word on either side, they were inscribed 
in the directory as Mr. Macdean of Glasgow, 
Mr. Hazlett from Manchester, and Mr. West 
from London, under the numbers of fourteen, 


8 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


fifteen and sixteen, and who then immediately 
turned their steps to the so-called “Strangers’ 
Quarters” of the city, chatting intimately 
together, as they had time to become well ac- 
quainted during the six days’ sea voyage from 
Shanghai to Yokohama. About a hundred 
paces before the house they met a young gen- 
tleman quite alone, who, without changing a 
muscle in his face, barely raised his hat to 
them and passed on, apparently not noticing 
that his greeting was just as coolly returned. 

Mr. Macdean remarked: “This Mr. Jervis is 
a most reticent passenger. I cannot say he 
pleases me exactly.” And in this opinion he 
was endorsed by his two companions. 

It was true that the man did not have a 
prepossessing appearance; but, at the same 
time, it would be difficult to say what was 
displeasing about him. He was tall, slight 
and well-formed; his step was quick and elas- 
tic, and he carried himself well. His raven 
black hair, carefully put back from his fore- 
head, contrasted greatly with his complexion. 


our little World. 


9 


which, though brown from exposure, was still 
that of the fair type of the North, and with 
his restless, light gray eyes, the well-defined 
features formed a noble profile; but when seen 
at a distance, the clean-shaven face, and par- 
ticularly the low forehead, framed, so to 
speak, between the high cheek-bones, seemed 
to take on an appearance of unwonted di- 
mensions ; but the genuine Irish mouth, with 
thin, tightly-closed lips and the powerful chin, 
gave him an expression in which energy, re- 
ticence and determination were curiously 
blended. When Mr. Jervis entered the con- 
sul’s room he found the latter buried again in 
his book. Mr. Jervis waited patiently until 
the consul should see fit to attend to him. 

At last he glanced up and asked indiffer- 
ently, “What can I do for you?” 

Mr. Jervis replied as the other passengers 
had done just before. He said he was an 
English merchant, and as such desired to es- 
tablish himself at Yokohama. 

“Your passport, please.” 


10 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


The desired document was taken out of a 
leathern wallet and placed before the consul. 

Mr. Jervis must have been a traveled man. 
The passport bore the stamp of many a for- 
eign land. It was dated 1850 and was issued 
in the beginning for a journey to the E*ist 
Indies. It was time-worn, torn, patched to- 
gether again and, taking all in all, did not 
bear the appearance of a respectable, legiti- 
mate-looking document. 

“J. Jervis,” muttered the consul. Suddenly 
he turned his eyes on the young man and 
looked at him scrutinizingly for a moment. 
“I knew a gentleman of the same name in 
1854 in Singapore. I don’t happen to remem- 
ber his Christian name, as he was only known 
in the Strangers’ Quarters by his initials, J. J. 
Possibly he is some relation of yours.” 

“No, Consul Mitchell.” 

“I should like to know whatever became 
of J. J. He was an uneasy individual, drank 
rather too much, and I fear he will come to 
no good end.” 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


11 


Mr. Jervis shrugged his shoulders slightly, 
as much as to say, that has not the slightest 
interest for me, and the consul, who was per- 
haps regretting having allowed himself to 
commence a conversation with a stranger 
without some important cause, stopped ab- 
ruptly, demanding the payment of the fee of 
five dollars. It was immediately handed him, 
and with scarcely an audible “Good day,” 
Mr. Jervis left the office. He stopped for a 
second before the door, turned his back to 
the constable, who was watching him, and 
stroked his chin, apparently pondering over 
something which gave him some anxiety. A 
tired, sad look came over his face and gave to 
it a more sympathetic expression, and then 
sighing, he said to himself, “I must con- 
tinue,” and with a quick pace he followed his 
traveling companions to the general hotel. 


12 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


CHAPTER II. 

Six months had passed since the day Ash- 
bourne and Jervis had arrived in Japan. 
Their traveling companions, West, Hazlett 
and Macdean, seemed to have led a quiet and 
uneventful life in the humdrum of business at 
Yokohama. It was the contrary, however, 
with our two friends, Ashbourne and Jervis. 
They had gained important positions among 
the members of the foreign colony, which was 
rapidly increasing, and which, at the begin- 
ning of the year 1860, counted over two hun- 
dred persons, of which the greater number 
were English and Americans. They were all 
exceedingly young, so that Ashbourne and 
Jervis, who were about twenty-eight or 
twenty-nine, were already reckoned among 
the oldest set. They were full of energy and 
life, and though determined to gain as much 
as possible of the so-called filthy lucre, they 
were at all times ready to go on any esca- 
pade where danger was connected. The life 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


13 


in Japan was not entirely without danger. 
Several foreigners had been murdered within 
a couple of months by the natives, who hated 
them on account of their being, in their opin- 
ion, impertinent invaders; but this danger in 
no way hindered the two strangers from 
making long excursions out of Yokohama 
with often no other object in view than a 
hard ride over a very rough road to discover 
some new view that the other members of 
the little band had not as yet seen. The inci- 
dents of such excursions were discussed in the 
evening at the club, which had been formed 
soon after the opening of the harbor of Yoko- 
hama, and if anything particularly interest- 
ing had been found, the other members of the 
club would form a little society, and the first 
free day would find them en route to visit the 
new discovery. These excursions were never 
unattended by danger, as many of the natives 
looked fiercely at these powerful white men, 
who went gaily through the streets, entered 
boldly and unbidden in their temples and 


14 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


peaceful homes, and whose very actions 
seemed to frighten the women and children. 
However, as before remarked, the feelings of 
the natives were a secondary matter in the 
eyes of the foreign element. 

Provided with heavy riding whips and 
large revolvers thrust in their belts, a few at 
a time forced an entrance in all the well-pop- 
ulated districts of the surrounding vicinity, 
eagerly studying and examining all that was 
new to them, and prepared, if the worst 
should come, to make their escape from the 
natives on their fleet little Japanese ponies. 

However, they did not expose themselves 
willingly and intentionally to danger. They 
kept the middle of the street and a sharp 
lookout on both sides. 

These excursions were frequently repeated, 
because, in the first place, of the slight spice 
of danger which was connected with them; 
and, secondly, because no one wished to be 
behind the others. Among these adventurers 
Ashbourne and Jervis were most looked up 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


15 


to as having discovered more points of inter- 
est in the environs of Yokohama than all the 
other members of the club included. 

Ashbourne was a general favorite on ac- 
count of his winning manners, and was 
known among all his friends by the name of 
Djusanban, the Japanese word for thirteen, 
as he never lost an opportunity of bemoan- 
ing the fates which had given him the un- 
fortunate number. 

“You will see,” he said with an expression 
which made it difficult to know if he were 
joking or in earnest, “that something will 
happen to me here.” 

As the Japanese did not seem inclined to 
keep him occupied in his capacity of engineer, 
and as neither his worldly possessions nor his 
inclination permitted him to undertake a 
merchant’s career, he decided at last to start 
a newspaper. “The Sun of Japan,” as it was 
called, had the honor of being the first Eng- 
lish paper printed in Yokohama, and although 
only a hundred were struck off daily, thanks 


16 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


to the high abonnements and the numerous 
advertisements, it permitted its enterprising 
editor to live comfortably. His household at 
present consisted of five servants, a compra- 
dor, (master of ceremonies,) a kotzkoi, (a 
chamberlain,) and a momban, (a porter,) a 
betto, (a coachman,) a kuli, (a general house 
servant,) and a riding horse. 

As editor of the Sun, Mr. Ashbourne was a 
person of no little importance, and to a cer- 
tain degree formed a link between the mer- 
chants of the place and those holding official 
positions. 

The position which Mr. Jervis held was 
acquired in an entirely different manner from 
that of our preceding acquaintance. During 
these six months he had lived among a 
society of young people, who, though friendly 
with everybody, was intimate with no one. 
But it was an acknowledged fact that Jervis 
was the champion in all athletic sports. He 
was the best steeple-chase rider, the fastest 
runner, and an excellent oarsman and 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


17 


swimmer, and so, in the most natural, in the 
most unassuming manner and without the 
slightest way of boasting, he gave evidence 
wherever opportunity offered itself of his per- 
fect fearlessness. 

When even the happy-go-lucky Ashbourne 
never rode alone nor went through the town 
by himself at night, Jervis never let a day go 
by without taking some long excursion from 
which he often returned after nightfall. He 
had had his pon}', who by birth was a native 
of Tartary, sent him from Shanghai, who 
was named Tautai, and was put through a 
school of training which showed the efficiency 
of his master and completely subdued its 
erratic disposition. On its arrival it showed 
evidences of being balky and gave proof of 
possessing a most vicious temper, but soon 
the slightest word of his master or motion 
was obeyed, and in swiftness it far excelled 
any of the Japenese ponies; afraid of nothing 
and wiry as that race of horses always is. 
Whenever there was any great excitement 


18 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


over any deed of bravery of which Jervis was 
the hero, Ashbourne always used to say: 
“He will be chopped to pieces some fine day 
by these Japanese officers; he is a good horse- 
man, but that will avail him little when some 
dark night they attempt to assassinate him ; 
and he exposes himself to these dangers seven 
times a week.” 

When there was a severe storm Jervis was 
to be found sailing out into the open sea quite 
alone in his sailing boat. One day as Ash- 
bourne was standing in the club window, 
armed with a telescope, he observed to the 
members who encircled him: “One thing is 
certain sooner or later, if Mr. Jervis is not 
murdered before, he will create us quite a di- 
version by being drowned. I have got the 
notice of his death all written out for the 
Sun. It happens that I, too, know something 
about the art of sailing, as I was raised on 
the water, and it is taking your life in your 
hands to venture out in such weather in a 
nut-shell like that.” 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


10 


“ He who was born to be hanged will never 
be drowned,” remarked Macdean. He had 
never conquered his aversion taken to Jervis 
during their voyage from Shanghai to Yoko- 
hama. 

“Why do you want Jervis to be hanged ? ” 
asked Ashbourne, laughing. 

“I don’t know,” the Scotchman said in a 
disagreeable way, “but he looks as if he mer- 
ited it.” 

Jervis showed himself equally reckless in 
business as in card playing, or vice versa; for 
these two occupations occupied most of the 
time of these “pioneers of civilization,” as the 
Sun had named the members of the little 
colony. He seemed to have an abundance of 
money, but where it came from no man 
knew. This, however, awakened no suspi- 
cion, as everybody had private business con- 
nections of which no one was the wiser. But 
more than one person complained of the good 
luck which attended Jervis, whether in busi- 
ness or card playing ; but fearlessness makes 


20 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


more impression on young people than any 
other quality; and, thanks to his fool-hardi- 
ness, Jervis was, if not the most popular 
member of the club, still the most looked up 
to. He seemed to care nothing about it, 
and his perfect indifference had something 
actually insulting about it to his compan- 
ions. 

No success, no amount of praise, could call 
a smile or a pleased expression to his cold, 
wan face. In America, which (from odds and 
ends that he had let drop at different times) 
had evidently been his home for some time, he 
acquired the habit of whittling, and when 
any comments were being made in his pres- 
ence about his bravery, he sat there working 
with his pen-knife as if his entire mind were 
devoted to his occupation. 

In the beginning of April the spring races 
were to be held at Yokohama. All the officers 
of the regiment, which was then stationed at 
Yokohama, as well as many of the young 
officials and business men, threw themselves 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


21 


body and soul into the preparations which 
were being made for this great event. Every 
day at least twenty riders were to be seen 
on the race grounds getting their horses and 
themselves in training. 

Ashbourne, who had been unanimously 
elected secretary of the Racing Society, ruled 
there as master of the track. He had not 
only his own horses to ride, but a half dozen 
others for his friends, which he was to ride 
for them on the great day. 

Jervis, too, was often to be seen in the early 
morning hours on the grounds, but as specta- 
tor only, as he never even galloped hisTautai, 
but rode either at a slow trot or at a walk 
from one part of the track to another, scared}" 
ever giving advice and speaking as little as 
possible, and with an unfriendly — yes, one 
would even be justified in saying a malicious 
or envious — expression on his face. 

One day he approached Ashbourne in this 
manner, who was vainly endeavoring to ride 
his horse down a steep inclined strip of road. 


22 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


This sort of an obstacle was most common 
in Japan, owing to the terraced form of the 
ground on account of the rice fields, and the 
steeple-chases always were held where several 
of the so-called drops, which are from ten to 
twelve feet steep, occurred. Most of the 
Japanese ponies surmount these obstacles 
very cleverly when it is not too difficult ; that 
is, when the terrace does not end suddenly, in 
a most deceptive manner, in a vertical incline. 
In order to jump this, a pony is ridden to the 
very end of the terrace at a slow pace, and 
then the hind legs gradually slide along, so 
that in order to preserve its equilibrium, it is 
obliged to jump. It often happens by the 
jump that either the rider or the horse falls, 
but it is seldom that an accident occurs, as 
the ground is everywhere so soft and elastic. 

Ashbourne stood on the edge of such a drop 
endeavoring to urge on his pony to take the 
leap by means of spurs, voice and whip, but 
the animal was evidently afraid, and stood 
with its fore legs planted firmly in the ground 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 23 

snorting and kicking out furiously with its 
hind legs at every touch of the spur. 

“Shall I lead you?” asked Jervis, who had 
been watching the vain toils of Ashbourne for 
some time. 

“Yes, if your Chinese horse is not afraid; 
but it is an ugly spring, and Tautai will not 
care to take it either. Go back twenty feet 
and we will ride on together.” 

Ashbourne did as he was requested, and 
they both rode to the verge of the drop. Tau- 
tai surmounted it without the slightest hesi- 
tation, but Ashbourne’s steed stopped short 
before it, shook its head, and replied by infur- 
iated kicks to the chastisement which it had 
brought upon itself. 

“Shall I ride the pony down for you?” 
cried Jervis from below. 

Ashbourne shrugged his shoulders, but 
made no reply. Jervis had to make quite a 
little detour in order to gain the heights 
again, but at last he reached Ashbourne’s 
side. 


24 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


“Let me try? ” he said. 

They changed horses; both retraced their 
steps k short distance, then rode at a gallop 
to the edge of the drop, where the same scene 
was repeated, Tautai taking the leap easily, 
whereas the other pony seemed determined 
not to follow its good example, and looked 
as though the whole thing were a matter of 
indifference to it. 

Ashbourne called laughingly back: “Shall I 
take the horse down for you ? ” 

“Don’t mind, I will attend to that myself,’’ 
retorted Jervis. 

He jumped back, jerked the horse’s bridle so 
that it turned around and around several 
times, and then, dashing the spurs into its 
flanks, urged it on in a straight line to the 
drop. The horse and rider rushed madly 
ahead, and in a moment stood on the edge of 
the drop. The horse reared, but too late; 
two cruel cuts with the spurs followed in 
quick succession, and, frantic with pain, it 
dashed on. For a moment horse and rider 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


25 


were in the air, and then both fell heavily on 
the side of Ashbourne, at the foot of the drop, 
who had been a surprised witness of the 
scene. 

Jervis sprang up immediately and grasped 
the reins of his obstinate steed, which had 
risen also unhurt. The girths were torn and 
the bridle all out of order, but that was the 
only damage done. 

“Well, I admire your riding,” said Ash- 
bourne. “No one would follow that exam- 
ple. Why, man, you could have easily have 
broken your neck.” 

“It only looks dangerous,” observed Jervis, 
“but it is not, at least for the rider, if he 
keeps his seat until the horse falls; but I do 
admit 1 risked the limbs of your pony.” 

He aided Ashbourne to arrange the torn 
girths and the bridle, and was so officious 
that Ashbourne could only watch him and 
observe that he performed the work as 
though he had been a groom all his life long. 
Then they both turned their faces towards 


26 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


Yokohama. It was a very warm day, and 
the violent exercise had greatly heated the 
two yotfng men. The men at the same time 
drew out their handkerchiefs to wipe their 
foreheads with; then, as they began again 
the interrupted conversation, turning toward 
each other, Ashbourne burst out laughing, 
saying: “Why, you look just like a negro. 
What have you been doing? Your forehead 
is as black as if you had painted it.” 

Jervis hesitated a second and’then said, “It 
is probably the damp earth from the rice 
patches which was in my hair.” 

Very soon afterwards he left his companion 
under the pretext he wanted to take a gallop 
across fields, and without waiting an answer 
he leaped a ditch by the roadside and rode 
off. Ashbourne looked after him thought- 
fully. There was something so peculiar in 
Jervis’ manner that he taxed his brain to the 
utmost, endeavoring to find some cause for 
his erratic behavior. 

Jervis, after having ridden half a mile over 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


27 


fields and uneven roads, reached a little inn 
hidden in the mountains, where he seemed to 
be well known and a welcome visitor. At 
his request the yonng woman brought him 
water, a mirror and a towel, and retiring to 
a room, where he locked himself in, he staid 
there some time, and when he did emerge, it 
was with his naturally well arranged hair 
and neat appearance. 


28 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


CHAPTER III. 

The grand race day was over. Ashbourne 
rode eight races out of the twelve, and won 
three of them. Jervis refused all offers which 
were made him, under the pretext that exer- 
cise in such intense heat caused him violent 
headaches. Everybody regarded this as a 
simple excuse, as it was well known that in 
the greatest heat he continued his long, lonely 
excursions; but no one could force him into 
doing what was disagreeable to him, and so 
they were obliged to accept his resolution. 
But Jervis did take a very important part at 
the races, as the only competent sportsman 
of the club who did not take an active part in 
the festivities. He filled the important post 
of umpire. 

On the evening of the same day quite a 
number of the club members, as also the most 
prominent officials and merchants of the col- 
ony, were invited to a dinner given by Ash- 
bourne. The long dinner proved a very 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


29 


merry affair ; toast after toast was proposed 
and accepted to absent friends, to the secre- 
tary and charming host, to the starter, etc.; 
and at last, among the twent\' young people 
assembled, not one had been overlooked, and 
one or more glasses were emptied in his 
honor. 

In order to please the Scotchmen present, 
several toasts were drank after their peculiar 
manner; that is, all the guests, standing on 
their chairs or on the table, emptied their 
glasses, filled to the brim, in one long 
draught. About eleven o’clock the merri- 
ment had reached its highest pitch ; they all 
laughed and talked at the same time. Only 
Jervis was quiet, and took no apparent part 
in the sport, although he emptied his glass at 
every toast. He formed a great contrast to 
his companions, whose cravats were under 
one ear, hair in disorder, eyes sparkling from 
the effects of wine, and who gesticulated 
wildly and talked freely. He acted as if he 
were at a state dinner ; sat bolt upright, and 


30 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


not a single hair was out of its proper posi- 
tion. 

All at once Ashbourne raised his clear voice, 
“Silence, gentlemen, silence.” The call was 
repeated several times, and finally silence en- 
sued. “Gentlemen,” began their host, “I 
have just accepted a wager, and it is apropos 
to a second dinner like the one we are just 
finishing. It is for you to say if Macdean or 
myself shall have the honor of giving it. 
Will you kindly decide?” 

“Yes, yes,” was the response from twenty 
husky voices. 

“Well, then, listen. Hear, hear, you must 
not interrupt me. The story is somewhat 
long; somewhat complicated.” 

“Well, begin anyway.” 

“Here goes. I have been endeavoring to 
explain the theory of the comparative small- 
ness of the world to my friend Mr. Macdean, 
who, strangely enough, has never devoted 
much thought to this subject, but you all 
know, certainly, what I mean,” 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


31 


“Not one of us has the slightest idea what 
you are driving at, and you don’t know 
yourself.’’ 

Ashbourne resumed his seat with a comical 
gesture of discouragement, but as the cries 
continued from all sides to have him begin 
again, and after silence once more reigned, he 
rose and continued that the theory meant 
onl} r this: “The world had been brought so 
closely together, that of a necessity every- 
body must know everybody, and to show it, 
he was willing to prove that all the guests 
present were known to him in some manner, 
either through mutual friends or in business 
connections, before he had had the pleasure of 
meeting them personally at Yokohama. Mac- 
dean says I cannot prove acquaintance, so to 
speak, with you all before our meeting, and 
this has formed the basis of our wager. With 
the permission of my guests I will endeavor 
to explain my meaning.” But long ago the 
honored guests had ceased to listen to this 
harangue, as Ashbourne had held the floor 

3 


32 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


for some time ; but the questions and answers 
which ensued between himself and his nearest 
neighbors soon interested his young com- 
panions, and very soon they all joined eagerly 
in the discussion of the theory brought for- 
ward by Ashbourne. 

The beginningof the trial, for as such it had 
taken the form, was favorable to Ashbourne ; 
after having asked only a few questions of his 
neighbor to the right, which proved to be the 
English consul, it was discovered that he had 
been at Rugby with his (Ashbourne’s) elder 
brother. It was the first time that those 
present knew that he had a brother. 

“You will all learn to know him soon,” 
said Ashbourne. “I expect him now in a few 
weeks, and he will gladly take charge of any 
case you choose to trust him with, as he is a 
lawyer, and an excellent one, too, as you 
will see if you give him any opportunity of 
showing his legal abilities. He had a good 
practice at Limerick; but my people, and 
particularly those who have cases, pay 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


33 


badly, and my brother Daniel, who does not 
understand the trick of forcing money from 
them, has not gotten on very well. He has 
at last consented to take my advice, and will 
soon follow me to Japan to try his fortune in 
Yokohama.” 

Then came next the Dutch consul, who sat 
on Ashbourne’s left, and it was soon discov- 
ered that he, too, belonged to the circle of 
Ashbourne’s acquaintance by hearsay, or by 
reputation. Before he was ordered to Japan 
he had filled a post in Batavia, where he had 
entered into very friendly relations with an 
English merchant who had married a niece 
of Ashbourne’s. 

With the third person, which happened to 
be Mr. Hazlett, it was much more difficult to 
find the connecting link, but still, after a 
great deal of search, it was accomplished. 
After Ashbourne had examined two others in 
this same manner, with satisfactory results, 
his triumph could be regarded as certain. 

In asking all these questions, Ashbourne 


34 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


had been obliged to relate the history of his 
own life by piecemeal, it is true. In order to 
give some clue to the person he was ques- 
tioning, he had named many of his relatives, 
acquaintances, teachers and schoolmates, so 
that in several instances where he was still 
questioning a certain one, others would inter- 
rupt him to say that they had had some 
connections with such and such a person 
which he had just mentioned long before the 
colony at Yokohama had ever been started. 

The conversation grew to be a general one ; 
every one was conversing with his neighbor, 
endeavoring to find an old acquaintance in 
him, and if this could be done it was greeted 
with shouts and outbursts of laughter. 

“Listen,” called out one. “Gilmore and 
myself have just discovered that we are 
cousins.” 

“I went to a school kept by West’s uncle,” 
said a second. 

A third called out, “Macdean’s cousin was 
my first unhappy flame.” 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


35 


From all sides similar exclamations were 
to be heard, and soon the clamor around the 
table far exceeded that which existed before 
the controversy was started. 

Macdean acknowledged himself conquered, 
and not that alone ; the grim old Scotchman 
had to admit that by the means of a near rel- 
ative of the Ashbourne family he had been con- 
nected with him for many years, and others 
gave him proofs that they had frequented the 
same society since time memorial. 

This constant questioning had so absorbed 
the attention of all the guests that none of 
them had remarked the strange behavior of 
Jervis during all this time. At the commence- 
ment he had sat without saying a word, evi- 
dentlj r intent on balancing a little basket in 
which two forks lay on the mouth of a bot- 
tle; but if anyone had regarded him then, 
they would have seen large drops of perspira- 
tion standing on his forehead. After that he 
got up, like one who is in need of fresh air, 
and walked out on the balcony. 


36 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


As Jervis came back, a few minutes later, 
the noise had reached its highest point. 
Every one present had found some old ac- 
quaintance among the guests present, and 
seemed inclined to continue their discoveries 
in the little world. 

Young Gilmore, a friend of Ashbourne’s, 
who had been particularly fortunate in this 
line, and who, besides having found a cousin, 
had discovered a half dozen friends of his 
numerous relatives, who were scattered all 
over the face of the earth, and of his own 
acquaintances, turned round at that moment 
as if looking for some victim to continue his 
investigations on. His glance fell on Jervis. 
“Stop!” he called out, pleasantly, and laid 
his hand in a friendly manner on Jervis’ 
shoulder. “Now it’s your turn. If we are 
not cousins we must at least be old friends. 
What schools did you visit ? Where do your 
parents live? Where were — ” He stopped 
suddenly ; Jervis’ face had taken on a death- 
like hue, and his eyes glared at him in such 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 37 

an angry and infuriated way that Gilmore 
became speechless. 

“What is the matter with you ? ” he asked 
presently. 

Some of the guests had been witnesses of 
this little scene, and now all turned their 
faces that way, watching Gilmore and Jervis. 
The sudden quiet which ensued was very 
much more noticeable than it otherwise 
would have been, following so instanta- 
neously the preceding laughter and jokes of 
the boisterous society. All eyes scanned these 
two young men closely. 

“What ails you?” asked Gilmore a second 
time, in the midst of the deep silence. 

Jervis glanced around, an expression of per- 
fect helplessness, of complete confusion, came 
across his face ; then, forcing himself to smile 
slightly, he said hoarsely: “What ails me? 
You will all be suffering from this indisposi- 
tion to-morrow. The wine was too good.” 
Whereupon he staggered toward the door 
and disappeared. 


38 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


CHAPTER IV. 

The excuse which Jervis had given for re- 
tiring the first on the evening of the day of 
the races was a very plausible one, but it by 
no manner of means satisfied Ashbourne and 
his friends, and Gilmore had done his part 
toward arousing the belief that the answer 
to his question was not a true one. 

“The man glared at me,” he said, “as if he 
wished to annihilate me by a single glance. I 
have never seen a glance so full of down-right 
wickedness in my life. I was perfectly stunned, 
and even now, when I think of it, I feel buck- 
ets of ice water being poured over me. If I 
had accused Jervis of a crime, instead of ask- 
ing a harmless question, he could not have 
looked at me in a more infuriated way. He 
said he was overpowered by the wine. I do 
not believe a word of it. Such an intense, 
such a wicked, glance never proceeded from 
the eyes of any drunken man. I would be 
willing to wager he was the soberest man ol 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


39 


us all. Well, what could have offended him 
so deeply ?” 

“ Probably Gilmore’s question. He may 
have reasons for not caring to speak of his 
past life. However, I have quite caught the 
epidemic of Ashbourne’s theory. Everybody 
ought to know everybody, and I mistrust a 
person I know nothing about.” 

The suspicious Macdean had made this last 
remark. The young men with whom he was 
speaking glanced at each other. They were 
brave, open men, and no malicious tongues 
were to be found among them. It was but 
natural that several had formed their ideas of 
Jervis, and it was also to be said they were 
not of the most favorable opinion, but every- 
one had kept his opinion to himself. How- 
ever, this episode was not favorable to Jervis. 
Every one felt this, and himself the keenest 
of all. 

On meeting the following day at the club, 
they did not avoid him intentionally, but it 
seemed as if he were surrounded by an insur- 


40 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


mountable barrier which separated him from 
the rest and isolated him completely. No one 
found anything to say to him, and no one 
approached him. If he attempted to join a 
group, the conversation died away as if there 
were a mutual understanding nothing was to 
be said to him. He seemed like a perfect 
stranger among this happy, harmonious as- 
sembly. He was in the way. The young 
people had at last discovered what that 
something was which prevented them from 
approaching Jervis in the same friendly man- 
ner with which they were wont to greet all 
members. They all knew about each other. 
Jervis stood alone. No one knew where he 
came from, or what he intended doing with 
himself. He did not belong to their little, 
and yet so widely spread out, world. He 
was the only stranger of this little colony, 
which was formed of people originating from 
all parts of the world. 

The summer season in the warm countries 
interferes greatly with social pleasures. The 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


41 


long excursions made out of Yokohama 
had of a necessity been abandoned for a time. 
The evenings at the club grew shorter, as so 
many of its members retired early in order to 
enjoy the fresh morning hours, the pleasantest 
of the day. After the races were over the 
track seemed to have lost its great attraction 
for the sportsmen and was entirely neglected. 

Jervis had never been congenial, and had 
never forced himself into the foreground. The 
others had made a good deal of him on 
account of his daring spirit, but suddenly, 
without any pronounced reason, these grad- 
ually ignored him, and soon Jervis found him- 
self perfectly isolated. It seemed as if every- 
body were afraid to speak to him, and he 
never addressed a remark the first. He 
passed all of his old companions on the street 
with simply a cool bow. Sometimes days 
would go by without his being seen, as he 
still continued his long excursions on horse- 
back, and he had nearly ceased his visits at 
the club, which before the races had been 


42 


OUR LITTLE world. 


quite regular. Jervis lived in a little house 
on the edge of a then entirely unbuilt strip of 
ground called the moor, surrounded by his 
Japanese and Chinese servants. Before the 
arrival of the foreigners, water had covered 
it, and the evaporation during the summer 
months had caused several epidemics of fever. 
At a great expense, a system of drainage was 
introduced, and the water now found its 
escape in the near sea. 

The moor, whose fertile black soil was soon 
covered by a rich carpet of grass, separated 
the European Yokohama from a portion of 
the city which enjoyed no good reputation. 
Drinking holes were to be seen at every turn- 
ing, and during the evenings and nights they 
were filled with drunken Japanese and Euro- 
peans, principally sailors. This part of the 
town was called the Yankiro, and quarrels of 
a serious nature took place frequently, and 
the combatants were often desperately in- 
jured. 

The respective members of the foreign col- 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


43 


ony, officials, officers and business men, never 
cared to show themselves in this district, 
although some of the old inhabitants would 
occasionally venture there to show it to some 
new arrival, in order to familiarize him with 
the strange customs and usages of the place. 
Street lamps were introduced in Yokohama 
much later. In 1860, on dark nights, the 
streets were all lonely, desolate and gloomy. 
All the life in the streets ceased with the set- 
ting of the sun. Any person wishing to go 
out after nightfall, either carried a lantern 
himself or, what was generally the custom, 
was accompanied by his servants, each of 
which carried paper lanterns, which were so 
universally used in Japan and also in China. 
The lanterns of the officials were ornamented 
with a coat of arms of the nations which 
they represented. The merchants had their 
names, or sometimes only the numbers of 
their houses, painted on theirs. In this man- 
ner they could recognize their friends at quite 
a distance, and whenever they met, they 


44 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


gladly joined their forces, as the streets were 
so very unsafe, and at night one had to be 
prepared to see armed degenerate noblemen 
ready to attack them at any corner. 

No European put his foot over his threshold 
in the evening without having a loaded re- 
volver cocked in his hand. 

Ashbourne was Jervis’ next-door neighbor; 
their houses were only separated by the large 
gardens, which were surrounded by wooden 
fences higher than the occupants of the cot- 
tages; but standing on the high balconies, 
each could see the windows of the other’s 
abode. One night quite a little party had 
collected at Ashbourne’s, as so often hap- 
pened. It was very warm in the lighted 
rooms. The mosquitoes, which were at- 
tracted by the lights, flocked in, and the 
guests, in order to escape from these unbid- 
den visitors, retired to the balcony, which 
was dark and comparatively cool, and had 
stretched themselves out on the bamboo 
seats. 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 45 

The young people were smoking and drink- 
ing tea, soda and brandy and were con- 
versing lazily on general topics. They were 
all tired and lazy, the greater part of the 
number being worn out from a hard day’s 
work. It had grown very late; the night 
was still, dark and oppressive. During the 
evening long pauses in the conversation en- 
sued. The low, monotonous murmur of the 
near sea, and the sound of the short, quick 
strokes of two pieces of flat wood from 
neighboring yards, were plainly to be heard. 
These pieces of wood were used by the Japan- 
ese policemen at certain intervals to show 
their rounds had been faithfully attended to ; 
but one becomes so accustomed to this pierc- 
ing noise that even the lightest sleeper is not 
disturbed by it, and it protects them from 
thieves and incendiaries, as it shows them the 
watchman is at his post. Blended with these 
sounds, the penetrating tones of the sampsin 
(a sort of guitar) were wafted over the neigh- 
boring Yankiro, 


46 


OUR LITTLE WQRLD. 


The watchman of the next house had just 
finished his rounds; one of the guests lifted 
his head at the sound of the signal. 

“All the rooms are lighted over at Jervis’,” 
he remarked. “What can the man be doing 
so late, and all alone? ” 

“He is studying Japanese,” remarked Mac- 
dean. “We have the same teacher.” 

“He seems to wish to become a perfect Jap- 
anese,” said Ashbourne laughingly. “In his 
house he may be seen going around in a 
kimono (a Japanese garment) and sandals. 
He is taking lessons in fencing from an old 
nobleman who haunts the place. Early day 
before yesterday, as I went by his door, I 
heard cries coming from his yard. I went in, 
and saw Jervis and a Japanese, with their 
faces protected, striking furiously at each 
other with wooden swords as if possessed, 
and this amusement was accompanied by 
screams and stamping of feet. Jervis ap- 
proached me politely and inquired to what 
cause he could attidbute the honor of my 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


47 


visit. Upon my answering that curiosity 
alone had driven me in, he replied that he 
took pleasure in all physical exercise, and 
that for diversion he was taking fencing les- 
sons from a Japanese. This gentleman lis- 
tened attentively, as if he understood Eng- 
lish, and repeated several times, ‘Mr. Jervis 
is very skilled.’ He wanted to exhibit his 
scholar, and proposed that they should have 
a bout together, but Jervis refused this prop- 
osition flatly. A pretty Japanese girl was 
crouching down on the veranda before a dish 
of coals, upon which water was being 
warmed. Opposite her sat an old woman. 
They were both smoking and drinking tea. 
On the mat at their side lay a coto, (a Japan- 
ese zither.) I saw neither chairs nor stools. 
The whole made the appearance of a Japan- 
ese, and not an European, interior.” 

“There comes somebody from the Yankiro 
over the moor,” said Macdean, interrupting 
Ashbourne’s recital. 

At a great distance they discovered lan- 


48 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


terns. The bearers could not be seen, and the 
lights, appearing and disappearing, looked 
like large jack-lanterns. 

“Let us see who they are,” said Ashbourne. 

He stepped in the room and returned pres- 
ently armed with a large field-glass. He 
looked a little while and said: “Numbers — 
numbers 28 and 32 ; West and Dr. Wilkins. 
We’ll call at them and see what they are 
doing out at such an hour.” Placing his 
hands to his mouth he called out in the still 
night, “West, Wilkins.” Then waiting a few 
seconds, he repeated the call until a faint an- 
swer was heard, “We are coming.” 

The lanterns approached Ashbourne’s 
house. At a little distance they stopped, then 
moved again. After a few moments they ap- 
peared in the gate-way, and immediately 
afterwards West and Wilkins, followed by 
their servants, stepped on the veranda. 

Dr. Wilkins said he had been called to the 
Yankiro to bind up the wounds of a young 
soldier who hud been stabbed by one of the 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


49 


natives in a drunken brawl. West, who hap- 
pened to be at his house when he was sum- 
moned, accompanied him. 

‘‘With whom were you talking when you 
stopped so suddenly before the house? ” 

“We met Jervis, and I wished him good 
evening. He was quite alone, taking a walk 
in the dark. He will certainly be killed some 
day. I have warned him many and many a 
time. I just said to him he was taking a 
good many risks. He laughed and asked me 
who would take him in the dark for a 
Todjin, (a derisive name given to strangers.) 
He looked exactly like a Japanese. He wore 
the kimono, a heavy wooden saber hung 
from his belt, and he had wound a handker- 
chief around his forehead so that only his 
bright eyes were to be seen. He is a strange 
creature, unlike any of us, and I should be 
afraid to call him friend,” 


50 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


CHAPTER V. 

Mr. Jervis seemed to be expecting impor- 
tant communications from China, for every 
time a steamer arrived he was to be seen 
among the first at the merchant’s to whom 
the ship was consigned, to receive his letters. 
He then called for the list of passengers, and 
disappeared after glancing it through. This 
was all customary, and aroused no suspi- 
cions ; not even the shadow of one. One day, 
at the beginning of June, he appeared at 
Dana’s, just after the Cadix had cast anchor, 
to get his letters. In the office of the banker 
he met Captain McGregor, whom he had 
become personally acquainted with during 
the voyage of the preceding year. 

“Did you have a good voyage, Captain ? ” 

“Excellent; five days and seventeen hours.” 

“Many passengers ? ” 

‘ i Seven white and twenty Chinese steerage 
passengers.” 

“ Any one we know ? ” 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


51 


“Macdean was among the number. The 
rest were all strangers, excepting a brother of 
Ashbourne’s.” 

“Good morning, Captain.” 

“Good morning, Mr. Jervis.” 

Strangely enough, Jervis forgot to take his 
letters with him, which were lying on the 
table before him. Glancing around cau- 
tiously, he took the most direct way for his 
house. As he was approaching his home, 
two gentlemen came toward him from the 
other end of the street, — Thomas Ashbourne 
and his brother Daniel. They were busily 
engaged in conversation, and at first did not 
notice Jervis; but suddenly Daniel saw him, 
and just at the moment when Jervis had per- 
ceptibly quickened his pace, crossed to the 
other side of the street and was about to dis- 
appear in his door-way. The distance be- 
tween Jervis and the two brothers was 
about two hundred feet. Daniel stopped 
short, and covering his face with his hands, 
for the noon sun was blinding at Yokohama, 


52 OUR LITTLE WORLD. 

he asked, as if buried in thought: “Who is 
that man?” 

“Which man?” 

“The one who has just disappeared in that 
house.” 

“It is probably Jervis. I did not see him, 
but he lives there, and seldom has any visit- 
ors. He has been to Dana’s to get his mail.” 

“Jervis? ” 

“Yes, do you know him ? ” 

“No, I do not know any Jervis, or I do not 
remember him, but it seems to me as if he had 
a familiar appearance. Perhaps it was only 
a resemblance. At this moment I do not 
even know whom he reminds me of.” 

“You will soon learn to know him, as he is 
our next-door neighbor; but here we are at 
home. Welcome under my roof, Dan.” 

These two brothers resembled each other 
but little. Daniel seemed to be about five 
years the older, and he had dark eyes and 
hair, whereas Thomas was fair; however, 
their figures were alike. They were both tall 


ODR L1TTLL WORLD. 


53 


and very slight, and had the same loitering 
walk. 

“Here is your room,” said Thomas, leading 
his brother into a low, but pleasant, room, 
in the corner of which stood a large, hand- 
some Ningpo bed. A table and several chairs 
formed the articles of furniture. “And here,” 
he continued, “right next is your bath room. 
The servant I have engaged for you answers 
to the musical name of ‘To,’ and does not 
understand a word of English. I will intro- 
duce him, and then you can see how you can 
manage with him.” 

Stepping out of the sliding doors, they 
reached the balcony, and Thomas said to his 
brother: “There is the stable, and in that 

dark building nearer the gate momban is re- 
posing. You will become acquainted with 
him and his qualities to-night, and now de- 
vote your mind to your toilet. It really 
makes me warm to see you in a woolen suit. 
See, To has prepared a linen suit for you al- 
ready. My clothes will fit you.” 


54 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


The servant had quietly entered the room, 
and now bowed respectful^ to his new mas- 
ter,— he knelt on one knee and touched the 
ground with his forehead. Ashbourne then 
told him what was to be done, and left the 
room so as not to disturb his brother at his 
toilet. Half an hour later, Daniel appeared 
in the parlor in one of his brother’s linen 
suits, greatly refreshed by a bath. 

“To seems to be a most excellent valet,” 
he remarked. “We got along beautifulH to- 
gether ; but Inish will be jealous if any one 
but himself waits on me.” 

“Who is Inish ? ” 

“My old Irish servant.” 

“If you had asked my advice I should have 
told you to leave him in Limerick. The na- 
tives always make the best servants. I warn 
you Inish will leave you and open a gin shop 
for sailors. All Europeans who come with 
their masters seem predestined to this fate.” 

“I will answer for Inish,” said Dan. “He 
is devoted to me, and was the servant of my 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


55 


friend Lieutenant O’Brien, who met with so 
tragic an end. Inish was so melancholy after 
the death of his master that he was obliged 
to leave the regiment. Knowing how much 
O’Brien thought of him, I took him and tried 
to console him, and I have succeeded so well 
that it would be cruel to give him up.” 

“ Does he generally drink ? ” 

“As little as you could expect from an 
Irishman and an old soldier.” 

“That is more than enough. Forbid him 
going out evenings, or he will be brought 
home dead before he is many days older. The 
Japanese officials treat drunken Europeans 
with characteristic heartlessness.” 

“Inish never goes out. He is afraid of 
people. There he comes ; the one you suspect 
without reason.” 

Inish, accompanied by a sailor from the 
Cadix, and followed by a Japanese kuli, 
drawing a wagon filled with baggage, had 
just entered the yard. He shook hands in a 
friendly manner with the sailor who had 


56 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


shown him the way, and leaving the sailor to 
return to the steamer, he walked directly to 
the veranda, where he had discovered his 
master, and, with a military salute, he asked 
abruptly into what room the baggage was 
to be taken. As soon as this question was 
answered, he turned quickly away, without 
saying a word, to carry the luggage in. The 
trunks, which he could not carry alone, he 
made a sign to the Japanese servant to take 
a hold of, too. 

“Well, do you think Inish is going to get 
into many scrapes? ” asked Daniel. 

“He makes the impression of a quiet, peace- 
loving man,” was the reply. 

“You will scarcely ever hear him or see 
him. He works from morning until night, 
and never seems more contented than when 
in my room or his own.” 

The brothers had a good deal to talk 
about during the afternoon. They had been 
separated for years. At seven they dined, and 
at about nine they went over to the club 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


57 


rooms, where Thomas introduced his brother, 
where he was received by everybody with the 
greatest cordiality, and he endeavored to 
justify their kindness, and succeeded in win- 
ning all hearts by his pleasant manners. 
Towards the end of the evening they were 
all disputing who should have the honor of 
calling him his guest first. 

“ I ha ve the best claim, ’ ’ said Macdean . “I 
owe many of you a dinner, and, besides, do 
you not remember my lost wager apropos of 
the smallness of the world?” 

“That is fair,” said Mr. Mitchell. 

So it was decided that the gentlemen who 
had dined at Ashbourne’s the day of the 
races should meet the next evening at Mac- 
dean’s, so that Daniel might have the oppor- 
tunity of becoming more closely acquainted 
with the principal members of the foreign 
colony. Thomas took upon himself to invite 
Jervis in Macdean ’s name, but, on sending 
over on the following morning, Jervis said he 


58 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


regretted exceedingly that he was not well 
enough to accept the invitation. 

The dinner, which took place at the ap- 
pointed hour, passed off pleasantly. They 
drank as fifty years ago they did in the best 
society of Germany, but where, in order to do 
it now and still respect one’s self, one must 
go to England. After the dinner had been 
served, and port, sherry and claret had made 
the rounds several times, the guests began to 
assume the agreeable mood, called forth by 
the effects of a good dinner, as they expressed 
it, and for which their friendly host had been 
working ever since the meal began. 

“It seems to me,” called out one of the 
guests, “as if we were in higher spirits than 
even at our last gathering.” 

“Thanks, greatly,” laughed Thomas. 

West, who had been guilty of this little 
breach of etiquette, tried to excuse himself. 
“You have misunderstood me, Ashbourne. I 
meant, to-day we were all enjoying ourselves, 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


59 


whereas the last time Jervis sat between us 
like a stone effigy.” 

“What is the matter, anyway, with Jer- 
vis?” asked another person, turning to Dr. 
Wilkins. Dr. Wilkins was known as a long- 
winded man ; that is, he spoke a long time, 
and seemed to enjoy it. 

“I will tell you, gentlemen,” began the Doc- 
tor. 

“No, you will not,” called out several per- 
sons. 

And the Doctor was obliged to content 
himself by telling his neighbor at the left, 
who happened to be the peace-loving Gil- 
more, that Jervis was suffering from a nerv- 
ous trouble, difficult to define, brought on 
by over-study and physical exertion. 

“Jervis nervous ?” asked Gilmore incredu- 
lously. “The man rides as if he did not know 
what nerves were.” 

“You are very much mistaken. Allow me 
to explain,” and the Doctor grew deeply ab- 
sorbed in a most learned conversation, which 


60 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


Gilmore only half listened to, as a discussion 
at the other end of the table interested him 
more. 

Macdean was explaining to Dan, who, as 
guest of honor, sat at his right, the nature of 
the wager which had given him the pleasure 
of having him first as guest. 

Ashbourne Jr. felt called upon to begin his 
lecture again, and spoke with great enthu- 
siasm, with a half-comical, half-earnest man- 
ner, which made him so irresistible. “And 
this theory, gentlemen,” — Gilmore heard from 
the other end of the table, — “this philo- 
sophical theory which is so widely out- 
spread, whose discoverer I flatter myself to 
be”— 

“What on earth are you talking about?” 
interrupted Mitchell, who, like Gilmore, had 
not heard the beginning of Ashbourne’s 
lecture. 

“Ashbourne insists that man can only be 
the person he is born to be, and he calls this 
a philosophical theory. A very pompous 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


61 


name for so simple a matter, which no one 
had ever doubted.” 

“You are a short-sighted Scotchman, Mac- 
dean. You never had any misgivings on the 
subject, because you never thought it over.” 

“Well, then explain your theory as well as 
you can;” but Ashbourne excused himself, 
saying he had already spoken too long, and 
feared to weary the gentlemen. 

However, the main point of his argument 
he would venture to emphasize again, and 
that was: “There is room in the world for 
one hundred and fifty million people, pro- 
vided, everybody accepts the lot which has 
befallen to him ; otherwise, wherever civilized 
creatures were to be found, room for the 
person endeavoring to represent some other 
individual would be wanting.” 

“According to your theory, what becomes 
of a guilty man who has entirely renounced 
his fellows and fled the country?” inquired 
Daniel Ashbourne. 


62 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


“The criminal who flees?” exclaimed Thom- 
as. “Why, he is the strongest proof of all of 
the correctness of my theory. The man who 
goes under an assumed name, who has given 
up his lot in life and individuality, cannot be 
counted among the living. Certainly, there 
are stories to the effect that men personating 
two characters, leading an unauthorized ex- 
istence, are to be met with in the universe, 
but these deceivers are not permitted to 
mingle in the social world at all.” 

“All that is very pretty and rather difficult 
to understand ; but, as a lawyer, I assure you 
that if ever a deceiver of that description fell 
into our hands we would make him feel his 
existence by imprisoning him or hanging 
him, as the case may be.” 

“I do not believe in fugitive criminals.” 
“Well, here is certainly a new idea. What 
do you mean by that ? ” 

“ The world is too small. A fugitive would 
soon be captured, or in his endeavors to es- 
cape he would be liable to kill himself, and his 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


63 


body would be found. Nothing is ever lost 
in the world.” 

The assembly, after dinner, who had not 
particularly enjoyed the defining of Ash- 
bourne’s theory, was only too willing to lis- 
ten, as a diversion, to a story, and from all 
sides one was demanded. 

Daniel Ashbourne cleared his throat, and 
the room gradually grew perfectly still. 
Some were curious for the promised story, 
and others did not wish to deprive the guest 
of honor from speaking. 

5 


64 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


CHAPTER VI. 

“In the year 1854, as I established myself 
as lawyer in Limerick,” began Daniel Ash- 
bourne, “I found an infantry regiment sta- 
tioned there. I soon became acquainted with 
quite a number of the officers, who were 
thorough men of the world, and fascinating. 
They were principally Irishmen, and jolly 
companions at the table, great gamblers, and 
known as the best riders among the nobility ; 
and there was not one of them, who, hunt- 
ing, would not have ridden as a crow flies. 

“The most famous and best rider among 
this jolly set, and who was recognized as 
such by all his companions, was a lieutenant 
by the name of Edwin Hellington. He was 
the youngest son of a rich, highly-respected 
family, had a good allowance from home, 
and was able to keep his own horses, and, in 
some way or another, he always succeeded in 
securing the best which were to be had in the 
market. His glance and his judgment were 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


65 


exceedingly sure whenever a horse was in 
question, and the best horse-dealer could not 
in any way deceive the } r oung stripling. He 
was in great demand by all the gentry, and, 
as he bet heavily, he won a large sum during 
the year I was in Limerick. To be an ac- 
knowledged expert at riding was looked 
upon as a great honor in the regiment. The 
officers were not envious, and were glad he 
was able to supply himself with horses. So 
every season, at the risk of breaking his 
limbs or neck, he managed to use up several 
pretty thoroughly ; but he was not a favor- 
ite, and led a very retired life, seldom took 
part in the general jollifications, and was 
never to be seen at a ball ; and when he was 
free he rode out on solitary ways, where he 
seemed to delight in racing his horse. 

“It was an easy matter for me to be intro- 
duced to all the officers, from the Colonel to 
the yo’ungest officer; but Hellington I could 
only manage to catch occasional glimpses of, 
and then at a distance 


66 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


“Oneof his companions, Lieutenant Charles 
O’Brien, who, after Hellington, was the best 
steeple-chase rider in the regiment, and with 
whom I had become particularly well ac- 
quainted, said to me one day as I expressed 
a wish to meet Jiis celebrated rival : ‘ I can 
introduce you to him, but I warn you, you 
will meet an exceedingly disagreeable fellow.’ 

“The same day I studied Hellington’s face 
more closely than ever before. It was cold 
and cruel. He had red hair, an exceedingly 
high, white forehead ; small, sharp eyes, which 
had a way of looking at you out of the cor- 
ners, and which wandered attentively from 
object to object; a light red beard, which cov- 
ered cheeks, lips and chin, prevented the shape 
of the mouth and face to be recognized. For 
a moment our eyes met, and he probably 
observed I was watching him, for he gave me 
a glance so sharp and full of hatred that I 
actually felt myself to be personally insulted, 
and willingly I turned my eyes from him 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


67 


without any desire to become better ac- 
quainted. 

“A few weeks later the great race in which 
the officers participated was held. The event 
of the day was to be a steeple-chase, for 
which all the best-known horses of the nobil- 
ity and officers had been secured. Hellington 
rode on this occasion a dark horse, entirely 
strange to the assembly, that passed the trib- 
une with wonderful swiftness even from the 
start, and took immediately the lead. He 
started at too fast a gait, some claimed, to 
last. Others said he knew what he was 
about. The horse did seem to be indefatiga- 
ble, and as long as the spectators could see it, 
there was a distance of ten lengths between 
him and the next horse. Then all the riders 
disappeared behind a little wood. When, 
after a few moments, they came in sight 
again, several horses were neck to neck. 

“ ‘The blue and white is ahead/ somebody 
cried. ‘O’Brien has the start. What has be- 
come of Hellington ? ’ 


68 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


“For a moment all eyes were riveted on the 
spot where the riders disappeared behind the 
woods. ‘ Something must have happened to 
Hellington,’ somebody cried; but quickly the 
attention was concentrated on the little 
group which rapidly approached the trib- 
une. ‘The blue and white wins. Hurrah for 
O’Brien ! ’ 

“A great many of the spectators rushed 
forward to the dismounting place to see the 
fortunate winner weighed ; but those who re- 
mained on the stand saw how, last of all, Hel- 
lington came dashing forward. His horse 
had not been spared the spurs, but the rider 
sat securely in the saddle, and not the slight- 
est particle of mud was to be found on his 
coat. It was impossible that the man should 
have fallen. After he had passed the tribune, 
he turned suddenly around and left the track. 
His groom came up and took the horse by 
the bridle. As the master, so was the serv- 
ant; they each resembled death-heads more 
than human beings. 


OtJR LITTLE WORLD. 


69 


“ ‘ What happened ? ’ asked the groom anx- 
iously. 

“ ‘ Damned dizziness; that’s all,’ Hellington 
replied shortly. 

“He was pale, and his eyes shone like a 
serpent. 

u ‘To the scales,’ he ordered. 

“There the place was quite forsaken, as 
long ago it was decided that O’Brien’s horse 
had won. However, the members of the trib- 
une were still present, whose duty it had 
been to weigh the riders. Without saying a 
word, Hellington took the saddle, bridle and 
riding whip in his hand and stepped on the 
scales. 

“‘Is the weight correct?’ he asked of the 
committee, and on their replying in the af- 
firmative, he said, ‘I wish to protest against 
this race.’ 

“Such protests did not occur often at the 
races, but they were admissible. In a very 
short time the judges, the chief directors and 
the commander of the regiment, Colonel 


70 


OtflR LITTLE WORLD. 


Wicklow, were gathered in a little room in 
order to hear the complaint and to decide as 
to the decision to be adopted. Outside every- 
body was wondering why the name of the 
winner was so long withheld from the pub- 
lic by the jury, whose duty it was to make 
the fact officially known. 

“Hellington before the judges complained 
that since the last trial running the track 
had been changed in one particular spot, 
and that the alterations had been made 
known to the participants in the race in such 
a manner that only a man fully initiated in 
the change could hope to adapt his horse’s 
gait and movement to it. He himself had not 
been informed at all in regard to the change, 
had guided his horse wrong owing to it, and 
that was the sole reason why he had not 
won the race. ‘ 

“Colonel Wicklow observed to Hellington 
that the manner in which his remarks were 
made was anything but gentlemanly, and 
particularly so, as he seemed to doubt of the 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


71 


bona fides of the committee. It was his fault 
he had not informed himself of the change in 
the track. 

“Hellington shook his head, shrugged his 
shoulders, and said : ‘ If he were to be re- 
minded that he was before his superior offi- 
cers, he had nothing more to say; but that 
until this, he had always lived with the idea 
that everybody should have fair play at the 
races, and that that had not been the case, 
as O’Brien had known the track, and not 
himself.’ 

“‘Lieutenant Hellington,’ the commander 
said, ‘if you continue in that manner you will 
force me to refuse hearing anything further 
from you.’ 

‘“At your service, Colonel Wicklow,’ Hel- 
lington answered, turned on his heel and left 
the room. 

“In general he was a very reserved man, 
and for the first time since he entered the 
regiment he seemed to lose entire control 
over his frightful temper. He drew on an 


72 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


overcoat over his jockey costume, put on a 
hat and sat down before the table, waiting 
for the next race to come in which he was to 
participate, hitting his boots with the riding 
whip and conversing in a very loud voice 
with his groom, who, between whistling and 
swearing, was devoting his time to rubbing 
down the horse. Several officers who were 
standing near left the place, so that a fellow 
officer should not compromise himself in their 
presence. It was very evident that Helling- 
ton was insane from anger, and hardly re- 
sponsible for anything he might do. 

“About half an hour later the bell was 
rung for the start for the last steeple-chase. 
O’Brien and Hellington mounted at the same 
instant. 

“ ‘This time I will not lose you from sight,’ 
Hellington called out in a spirited manner. 

“O’Brien, whose friends had all begged him 
not to venture on anything again with Hel- 
lington, rode quietly toward the ring as if he 
had heard nothing at all. 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


73 


‘‘During the first part of the distance, and 
after two obstacles had been surmounted, 
the two horses kept so closely together that 
they could have been covered with the same 
blanket. Suddenly O’Brien gave a little more 
freedom to his horse, who gained a trifle on 
the others. 

“ ‘Hellington is giving O’Brien the right of 
wav,’ everybody said. ‘See how he is hold- 
ing back ! ’ 

“These two had left the others some dis- 
tance behind. They were approaching a wall, 
which both leaped at the same time. The 
next obstacle was a fence, behind which there 
was a deep ditch. O’Brien let his horse out 
and rode rapidly forward. On his left, Hel- 
lington ’s mare’s head was even with the sad- 
dle. It was impossible to clearly define the 
situation from the tribune, as O’Brien’s horse 
hid that of his opponent fully half from view. 
Twenty feet before the fence O’Brien was 
seen to lean to the right a trifle. Immedi- 
ately after his horse lifted himself prepara- 


74 


OUR UTTLE WORLD. 


tory to taking the jump. In the same mo- 
ment it made a quarter of a turn toward the 
right, hit the fence with its hind legs, and 
rolled into the ditch. Hellington cleared the 
space, with the riding whip held high in his 
hand. O’Brien was thrown violently out of 
the saddle, and the spectators saw him fall, 
face downward, with outstretched arms, sev- 
eral feet from his horse. He got up quickly, 
caught the horse by the bridle, and by dint of 
the whip and urging, he succeeded in getting 
it out of the ditch. He sprang into the 
saddle, and, followed by the triumphant 
shouts of all present, he began the race anew ; 
but the other horses had all passed him. 
Captain Glenarm had the lead. Hellington’s 
horse, who had seemed to become restive and 
unwilling to keep its gait, came in fourth. 
They approached the stand, and O’Brien, who 
was forced to abandon all hopes of winning, 
quieted his horse into a slow gallop, passed 
the tribune, and came walking to the dis- 
mounting place. After he had been weighed, 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


75 


he said the accident was caused by the man- 
ner in which Hellington ran his horse into 
his, and in order to strengthen his assertion, 
he called for witnesses those who had been 
directly behind him, and who had seen the 
entire affair. 

“Both were escorted into the room where 
the judges were again assembled. O’Brien 
repeated his accusation, and Hellington re- 
plied he had crowded him to the right, and 
that he was not responsible for it. His horse, 
against his will, had leaned that way, and 
everybody could testify that the animal was 
a capricious one. But the witnesses held to 
it that Hellington had intentionally driven 
O’Brien into a corner. The decision of Cap- 
tain Glenarm was anything but favorable to 
Hellington* He said he felt persuaded that 
Hellington could have won if he had wished 
to, and the fact of his coming in fourth was 
a mystery. Furthermore, Hellington could 
have taken the lead at any time, but acted as 
if he were chained to O’Brien. Just before the 


76 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


fence, O’Brien turned quickly to the right, in 
order to have more room. ‘I am convinced, 
gentlemen, that at that time Hellington was 
perfect master of his horse-, who seemed to 
go along very steadily, and I cannot under- 
stand, knowing, as we all do, what an expert 
horseman he is, why it would have been a 
difficult matter for him to have taken the 
leap a few feet to the left of O’Brien at a time 
when O’Brien was at the extremity of the 
right side of the track. Hellington, on the 
contrary, had the entire left side of the track, 
as I came third, and was considerably behind 
him. I cannot swear that Lieutenant Hel- 
lington had the intention of riding down 
O’Brien, but if he did not, he certainly rode 
badly.’ 

“Captain Glenarm was acknowledged the 
winner, and the committee refused to express 
their opinion about the affair. However, the 
public was greatly incensed against Helling- 
ton. 

“The evening of the same day, Mr. Don- 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


77 


egha, the Major of the regiment, went to 
Lieutenant Hellington, in the name of the 
Jockey Club, to advise him to withdraw from 
the sporting society of Limerick. Hellington 
understood that advice was only a polite way 
of expressing a command, and without wait- 
ing for further counsel, he wrote the asked-for 
letter. Donegha, who was a full-blooded 
Irishman and an enthusiastic admirer of all 
experts at riding, and whose morals regarding 
the turf were so exceedingly liberal as nearly 
to have caused his own expulsion, was anx- 
ious to comfort the man who sat beside him 
with tightly-compressed lips. He stretched 
his hand out and said in a tone which 
showed how much he was affected, ‘I am 
terribly sorry, Hellington, this should have 
happened to you.’ 

“Hellington, without taking any notice of 
Donegha’s hand, clenched his teeth still 
closer together and said very low, ‘Listen 
what I say, Major Donegha, others will re- 
gret it, too.” 


78 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


“At present, however, it seemed that Hel- 
lington alone would bemoan the fact that he 
had conducted himself like a blackguard, as 
on the following day a committee composed 
of officers met and decided, after a short con- 
sultation, that an officer guilty of such a mis- 
demeanor, and who had been requested to 
hand in his resignation, could no longer en- 
joy the honor of serving in her Majesty’s 
army. 

“In order to avoid a public scandal, he 
should quietly be given to understand his de- 
parture was the only thing his companions 
in arms still desired from him. At first they 
could not agree how the decision should be 
communicated to Hellington. At last, how- 
ever, the kindest way was adopted; that is, 
a friend was to inform Hellington, in confi- 
dence, what had happened. 

“ Hellington received the message with the 
greatest possible composure, and said : ‘ I 
knew it would terminate so. I stood in the 
way of too many people. Now the way is 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


79 


clear for the next best man. Here, take my 
resignation with you, and do not forget to 
mention that it lay sealed on my desk when 
you came in.’ 

“Hellington began making preparations to 
leave Limerick the same day. Everybody 
(the affair had become town talk) expected 
this move, and so Hellington’s landlady was 
not surprised when he asked for his bill. Im- 
mediately after which he called his groom to 
him and said : ‘ I am going to leave Limerick 
early to-morrow. If you want to make a 
good business transaction, I will sell you the 
brown mare and all that is to be gained from 
her running. I would sooner see her in your 
possession than that of a horse-dealer, as you 
have always served me faithfully.’ But the 
groom, instead of accepting the offer, said: 
‘I have nothing to keep me here. Take me 
with you, and I will follow you to the 
world’s end.’ 

“ ‘I can have no more use for you,’ replied 

e 


80 OUR LITTLE WORLD. 

Hellington; ‘but do not worry, as you will 
easily find another master.’ 

“‘None like you,’ was the reply. ‘None 
who understands horses so perfectly.’ 

“‘It cannot be arranged; but possibly we 
will meet again somewhere. Do you want 
the mare? ’ 

“ ‘ I cannot afford it, sir. After our train- 
ing she is worth at least two hundred 
pounds.’ 

“‘Yes, and add fifty more to it, my good 
fellow ; but that we will not discuss any 
longer. I bought the mare for ninety pounds, 
and you shall have her for the same price.’ 
Hellington seemed to be lost in thought for a 
moment, and then said suddenly, ‘I will give 
her to you ; ’ and then he made a sign to his 
groom to leave him, and he, knowing that 
under any circumstances his master was to 
be obeyed, returned thoughtfully to the 
stable. 

“Very earH the next morning Hellington 
took his departure from Limerick. He left a 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


81 


small amount of his baggage in his room, 
saying he would send for it in a few days, 
and left without bidding a single person 
‘good by.’ 

“ During the day the officers talked a good 
deal about him, and then soon he was for- 
gotten. He was to them a man overboard, 
who, as long as he was on the surface, was 
to be watched, but as soon as he sank, the 
darkness of forgetfulness seemed to surround 
him. His friends seemed to think he had gone 
to Dublin in order to take the steamer for 
England, but no one knew what had become 
of him. 

“A week later O’Brien’s groom was awak- 
ened in the dead of the night by a peculiar 
noise which came from his master’s adjoining 
room. Half asleep, he raised himself on his 
elbow and noticed the door stood ajar, and 
that somebody was going cautiously down 
the stairs. Immediately the street door 
opened and closed. Steps hurrying away 
were distinctly heard, and then all was silent. 


82 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


The groom, who had been awakened out of a 
sound sleep, could not at first grasp the sig- 
nificance of such an untitnel}' visit, but at last 
a fear stole over him something had hap- 
pened to his master. Everything was dark 
in the room. He began feeling around for the 
matches, which were near his bed, but sud- 
denly he remained motionless and breathless. 
From the next room frightful groans were to 
be heard. He jumped up and rushed to his 
master; but there, too, everything was dark, 
and from the bed the terrible groans broke 
the death-like stillness of the room. 

“‘Lieutenant, Lieutenant O’Brien, my kind 
master, for God’s sake speak ! ’ 

“The only reply was groans indicating the 
greatest physical agony. 

“The groom seemed transfixed. At last he 
ran back to his room, threw a few clothes on 
and ran down stairs to Captain Glenarm, 
who lived in the same house, and who awoke 
suddenly as he heard somebody pounding on 
his door. With a bound he reached and 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


83 


opened it, and the trembling voice ofO’Brien’s 
groom greeted him with the words, ‘Come 
quickly, somebody has murdered my master.’ 

“‘Who? What?’ 

“The poor groom could not answer. He 
was still endeavoring to strike a light. 
Glenarm snatched the matches from him, lit 
the candle and stepped into O’Brien’s room, 
closely followed by O’Brien’s groom. There 
everything seemed to be in its proper place, 
but on the bed lay O’Brien, his face covered 
with blood, and his glassy eyes staring 
around, with his skull crushed in. Glenarm 
took hold of the still warm hand of this des- 
peratelv-wounded man, and then he turned 
to Inish', the groom,' who stood ringing his 
hands behind him. ‘Run as quickly as you 
can to Dr. Morrison, and tell the first police- 
man you see to come here. A murder has 
been perpetrated ; but, above all, bring the 
doctor. Do you understand ? ’ 

“Glenarm’s groom was also awake by this 
time, and had been sent by his master to 


84 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


Colonel Wicklow to inform him of the occur- 
rence. An hour later, the doctor, several offi- 
cers and three policemen were gathered in the 
dying man’s room. The physician said the 
crime had been done with a blunt instru- 
ment; probably a so-called life protector had 
been used in crushing his skull. ‘He has no 
chance for life, and never will be conscious. 
He may live a few hours longer, but there is 
no saving this young life.’ 

“One of the policemen had taken Inish 
aside and had learned from him the little he 
knew. He then conferred with his confreres 
and then hastened away, to follow, if possi- 
ble, the still fresh tracks of the murderer. 

“Colonel Wicklow, Captain Glenarm and 
two other officers who had come with the 
Captain, stood there, pale and entirely un- 
decided what to do next. 

“‘Do you want to know my opinion?’ 
asked Wicklow, darkly ; and without waiting 
a reply, he said: ‘This is the work of that 
villain Hellington, and of no one else. O’Brien 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


85 


was the most popular officer of my regiment. 
Nothing has been touched in this room, a 
sign that no thief has committed this shame- 
ful deed. This is the work of revenge alone.’ 

‘“What did 3^011 say then, Colonel? Have 
the kindness to repeat that remark.’ These 
words came from a lank, long-boned individ- 
ual who had entered the room without being 
seen. 

‘“My name is Police Inspector Hudson,’ 
he said in answer to an inquiring look from 
the Colonel. 

“Before the day had hardly dawned, a de- 
scription of Hellington was telegraphed to all 
the seaport towns of England, Scotland and 
Ireland. In Limerick nothing was discussed 
the entire day but the terrible tragedy, and no 
one doubted but that the police would suc- 
ceed in capturing the murderer. Quite a num- 
ber gathered around the telegraph station 
awaiting the news that Hellington had been 
arrested, but the telegraph did not seem to 
be inclined to be communicative. The crowd 


86 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


dispersed at last. But even the papers the 
following morning published nothing regard- 
ing the capture of the murderer. 

“The report was circulated in the town 
that the police had forbidden the papers to 
publish anything, in the fear that the track- 
ing of the murderer might in some way be 
impeded ; but be that as it may, nothing was 
learned of Hellington. The only thing known 
was, he was being sought in vain. The 
proofs of his guilt grew stronger and stronger 
daily. The house was discovered in Dublin 
where he had lived several days after having 
left Limerick under his proper name. It was 
ascertained that Hellington had left Dublin 
on the evening before the murder, and had 
not returned at all. Several officers of the 
line of the Dublin and Limerick Express said 
they had noticed a passenger answering to 
the description of Hellington. 

“The fact that since the murder Hellington 
had so completely disappeared, and that all 
the efforts which were being made to discover 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


87 


his whereabouts remained without success, 
as well as the official command addressed to 
himself to surrender, sufficed to convince 
those who had in any way espoused either 
side of the terrible charge brought against 
Hellington of his guilt. 

“The Times published a leading article 
about him. In all the other papers, under 
the heading of ‘Murder in Limerick,’ bio- 
graphical sketches of him were given, and the 
Illustrated London News gave a likeness 
of him to the public, taken from a photo- 
graph found in the possession of his groom ; 
but it was all in vain. The search for the 
fugitive extended the world over, and from 
no corner of the earth was an answer re- 
ceived. Once they thought the right track 
had been discovered. In a little fishing vil- 
lage ten hours north of Limerick, several 
weeks later, a fisherman was discovered who 
lived with his family in a semi-civilized con- 
dition on the smallest of the Aran Islands, on 
the west shore of Ireland, and who said some 


88 


OUR LIT'tLK WORLD. 


time ago a stranger appeared, he could not 
recall the day, and purchased from him an 
old mast and a sail,— everything in that line 
he owned. He paid him liberally in English 
money, and then disappeared in the same 
boat he came in. The next day several boats 
passed, all going west ; and it was possible 
one of them had picked him up. About the 
general appearance of the stranger the fisher- 
man could say nothing. 

“ ‘ Was he young, tall or short ? ’ 

“ ‘Neither the one nor the other.’ 

‘“Fair or dark?’ 

“That the man had long since forgotten. 
‘The man looked wild and desperate, and 
frightened me, and I was glad to see the last 
of him.’ 

“Lloyds’, Veratis and other ship registers 
were consulted. By experienced people it was 
decided, so far as it was possible, what ship 
the first day after the murder could possibly 
have passed in sight of the Aran Islands ; and 
the officials where the steamers had landed 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 89 

were all telegraphed to, but without success. 
Hellington remained lost. 

“Since that time live years have passed. 
Poor O’Brien is forgotten, and nothing has 
been heard from Hellington.” 

Ashbourne had finished his story, and a 
long silence ensued. 

At last Macdean said, “He must have been 
drowned.” 

“That is very possible,” replied Daniel Ash- 
bourne. 

“But, if alive, he will be found,” replied 
Tom Ashbourne. “There is no room in the 
world for one who has lost or forfeited his 
place.” 

It had grown very late. No one seemed in- 
clined to enter into a discussion with the 
editor of the Sun, and the party broke up 
more quietly than was generally the case. 


90 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


CHAPTER VII. 

Dr. Wilkins did not have a very extensive 
practice, as the general state of health of this 
young foreign colony left very little to be 
wished for; and so it happened that his pa- 
tients could boast of very good care being 
taken of them, and of the regularity of the 
doctor’s visits. 

Since Jervis had announced his indisposi- 
tion, he had received daily visits from the 
physician. On the day after the dinner 
spoken of in the last chapter where the older 
brother had related the narrative in reference 
to the disappearance of Hellington, Dr. Wil- 
kins appeared at his regular hour (at about 
ten o’clock) at Jervis’, and after he had consci- 
entiously inquired about the general health 
of his patient, he lighted his cigar, called for 
a glass of soda and brandy, and established 
himself in a hammock on the cool veranda. 
“Well, now I am through with my daily 
rounds,’’ he remarked, yawning. “I have 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


91 


never imagined a climate equal to that of 
this blessed seaport. Not a person can be 
persuaded to become ill. Life insurance com- 
panies ought to send agents over to Yoko- 
hama. As for physicians, they do not earn 
enough to keep body and soul together. Yes- 
terday evening we sat together until three 
this morning, and as I started on my daily 
rounds I met the two Ashbournes and Gil- 
more returning from a morning ride, and 
they looked as fresh and gay as if they had 
enjoyed their prescribed seven hours sleep. 

“You staid until three atMacdean’s? Who 
won ? ” 

“We did not play at all.” 

“Well, what did you do the entire night 
through? ” 

“We were listening to Ashbourne Sr., who 
was telling stories of murders committed in 
Ireland.” 

Jervis made no reply. He sat in a low bom- 
bay chair, somewhat behind the hammock, 


92 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


so that the doctor could only see his face by 
turning half around. 

Wilkins waited a moment in order to be 
invited to tell his newly-acquired story. As 
Jervis still remained silent, the doctor began 
of his own accord. He condensed the story 
somewhat, although omitting none of the 
principal features. Jervis never interrupted 
him, and the doctor was deeply gratified by 
the great attention of his listener. 

“Mr. Ashbourne knew the man person- 
ally ? ” Jervis asked in a low tone of voice. 

“Knew him as I know you. He had seen 
him a hundred times,” replied Wilkins, turn- 
ing around to look Jervis in the face. “Hel- 
lo,” he exclaimed, sitting up quickly, “what 
ails you ? ” 

“Nothing at all,” was the reply; but Dr. 
Wilkins, mindful of the physician’s duties, 
was not satisfied with the answer. He felt 
his forehead and pulse, and gave him a pow- 
der, and left only after Jervis had expressed a 
desii'e to take a nap. 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


93 


“ Lie down in the hammock. You will have 
good air there. Before dinner I will call 
again. By that time I shall hope to find you 
greatly improved.” 

After Wilkins had left, Jervis remained for 
some time, perfectly motionless, seated. His 
eyes, which were generally so restless, were 
fastened upon the ground. Presently he drew 
a heavy breath, wiped the perspiration, which 
stood in great drops on his forehead, got up 
slowly and went into his room. Wilkins 
found him there when he came in at six. 
Jervis had to submit to another thorough ex- 
amination. After the ordeal was over, the 
doctor said he would send him six powders 
immediately ; two of which were to be taken 
at once, two more before retiring, and the re- 
maining two early the following morning. 
He repeated his instructions several times, as 
if it were of great importance that they 
should be obeyed, and each time Jervis re- 
plied, “Yes, doctor,” in a very serious mail- 


94 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


The powders came very promply, but he did 
not touch them. At seven he sat down to 
dinner, ate but little, and returned immedi- 
ately to his room, where he remained alone. 
When the servant brought a light in he 
ordered him to take it out again, and to 
have the parlor darkened, as the mosquitoes 
troubled him so the night before. 

Ashbourne’s house was, as usual, brilliantly 
illuminated, and from Jervis’ veranda one 
could distinctly see what was going on there. 
Our patient seemed to take the greatest in- 
terest in the proceedings, as he held an opera 
glass to his eyes and glanced over there con- 
stantly. The two brothers were alone, and 
seemed to be deeply engrossed in conversa- 
tion. At about nine o’clock Thomas seated 
himself at a desk and began to write. A 
moment later Daniel took his hat and, accom- 
panied by a Japanese servant, left the house. 

Early the next morning Wilkins came to 
see Jervis. He looked forlorn and discour- 
aged. Wilkins, endeavoring to cheer him up, 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


95 


said the evening had been such a lively one at 
the club. Daniel Ashbourne was such a 
charming man, and had entertained and 
amused the society all the evening with his 
stories of Ireland. 

“And what does Thomas Ashbourne say 
when anybody else has the floor for such a 
time but himself? ’’ asked Jervis. 

“Thomas had some writing to do for the 
Sun, so Daniel came alone. We were all so 
glad to see him. I am perfectly convinced 
you will like him; and then he is very anxious 
to meet you, as he is a thorough Irishman, 
and has taken a deep interest in you ever 
since we told him you were the best rider in 
the settlement. If you would like to have 
me, I will bring him around to-morrow and 
introduce him.” 

“No, I would prefer not,” said Jervis 
cpiietly. “I do not feel well enough at 
present to enjoy making any new acquaint- 
ances. I hope I shall soon be able to go out, 

and then we shall meet quite naturally.” 

7 


96 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


“Just as you prefer,” replied the indulgent 
physician. “If you feel inclined to take a 
little stroll this evening, I will call for you 
with pleasure. I promised to initiate Daniel 
in the mysteries of the Yankiro, as a stranger 
can do that better than one’s own brother. 
We have a rendezvous at nine near here, and 
I could call you from the balcony.” 

“No, I think not to-night, doctor; some 
other time.” 

After Wilkins had left, Jervis paced the ve- 
randa a long time wrapped in deep thought. 
One of his servants approached him to exe- 
cute some command, but he was so startled 
at the wild expression of his master’s face 
that he tip-toed away quietly without having 
dared to disturb him. 

About half an hour later Jervis had the 
porter summoned and sent him overto Yeddo 
to make some few purchases for him. The 
momban remarked quietly that it was al- 
ready quite late, and he could not possibly 
reach his post before the night had begun, 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


97 


Jervis, however, said shortly he need not 
appear in Yokohama until the next day. For 
so long a time the house must get along 
without him. 

The porter was only too pleased to have a 
free day to spend entirely at his own disposi- 
tion at Yeddo, and half an hour after Jervis’ 
order had been given he appeared, ready for 
the start, to take leave of his master. 

When it began to grow dark, Jervis sum- 
moned the comprador , (the first house serv- 
ant) and said: “The momban is not here 
to-night. Take it upon yourself to see that 
all lights in the house and stables are extin- 
guished at ten. An accident might easily 
occur, and the servants are very careless with 
the lights.” The comprador assured his 
master that he would see himself that his 
commands were obeyed. 

At nine o’clock Jervis was seated on the 
veranda, and, as on the preceding evening, he 
never took his eyes off his neighbor’s house, 
which was well lighted. In one of the rooms 


98 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


three people were distinctly visible, — the two 
brothers and Dr. Wilkins. At half past nine 
Thomas went again to his desk and the two 
others started out. Jervis heard them con- 
versing as they passed the house, and saw 
them, followed by two servants, strike across 
the plains to the Yankiro. The sound of 
their steps soon died away on the soft 
ground. A few moments longer Jervis could 
follow the lanterns, and then the}^, too, dis- 
appeared in the solitary night, which soon 
became so forsaken, so quiet, so death-like. 
The sky was covered with heavy, black 
clouds. The distant waves beat against the 
shore in such a sullen manner as if predicting 
an approaching thunder-storm. 

The comprador had made the rounds of 
the house, and nowhere in the entire inclos- 
ure, a view of which Jervis commanded from 
the veranda, where he stood breathing 
quickly and listening intently for the slightest 
sound, was a spark of light to be seen. The 
house and grounds seemed to be buried in 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


99 


the profound darkness of the night. About 
midnight four men — two Europeans and two 
natives — left the Yankiro and started slowl_y 
for Yokohama. The servants led the way, in 
order to light the narrow, uneven paths with 
the lanterns they carried. Both the Euro- 
peans were deeply engrossed in conversation, 
or rather one was talking eagerly and the 
other listening intently, interrupting his com- 
panion occasionally to ask some question. 
They were about in the middle of the plains 
as the speaker quickly turned around and 
saw' a dark mask spring suddenly out ; heard 
the same moment a heavy blow and a sharp 
cry, and saw his companion stagger, gesticu- 
late violently with his arms, stumble along a 
few feet, and fall full length, face downward, 
on the ground. 

“Murder, help ! ” 

The servants sprang quickly to the doctor’s 
side, held the lanterns up and saw, thirty feet 
from them, a figure which seemed borne by 
wings over the plains. One or two pistol 


100 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


shots were exchanged, and the retreating- 
figure was swallowed up in the blackness. 

Thomas Ashbourne, seated at his desk with 
windows and doors wide open, started up 
suddenly. He had just heard a frightful 
scream, and following it quickly, the breezes 
of the night carried to his ear the words, 
“Murder, help,” and then the two shots. 
Ashbourne rushed out on the veranda, saw 
two lanterns which moved about quickly in 
a very limited circuit, and then remained 
stationary. A moment later Thomas was 
speeding quickly across the plains to the 
place where the lanterns were gathered. A 
man was lying on the ground with a large 
wound in his back. Wilkins was kneeling by 
his side and the two servants stood near 
him. The wounded man was bathed entirely 
in his own blood, and did not move. 

“What can I do, doctor?” called out 
Thomas. “Oh, my God, Dan, nry brother. 
Help!” 

He threw himself on the ground and 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


101 


grasped the hand, already growing cold, 
which had buried itself in the earth. The 
blow, which seemed to have been dealt by a 
butcher’s ax, had cleaved the back from the 
left shoulder way through to the spinal col- 
umn. Help was in vain. The victim lav 
there already in the agonies of death. A pe- 
culiar sound, as if striving for breath, came 
from his breast. A shiver went through his 
entire frame. He straightened himself out 
once more, and all was over. 


102 


QUR LITTLE WORLD. 


CHAPTER VIII. 

Nearly all the inhabitants of the English 
colony were assembled in the room of the 
English consulate. A session was being 
held, at which Mr. Mitchell presided, to see if 
any light could be thrown upon the murder 
of Daniel Ashbourne, a lawyer of Limerick, 
Ireland. The witnesses, as many as they 
could find, were kept in the next room closely 
watched by an official. They consisted of 
Dr. Wilkins, James Jervis, Walter Macdean, 
A. Gilmore, and the Chinese comprador of 
James Jervis. In courtesy to the great grief 
which Ashbourne had so recently sustained, 
he and his servant, Patrick Inish, were inter- 
rogated in another room. Their testimony 
had been read, however, by the English con- 
sul to the assembly. They testified that 
Daniel Ashbourne had never had any dispute 
with any Chinese, and that the idea that his 
death might be laid to the door of revenge 
from that quarter must im media tel)'' be dis- 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


103 


missed. Dr. Wilkins, the principal witness, 
after a full account of the tragic event on the 
moor, in answer to many questions asked 
him by the court, added that Daniel Ash- 
bourne’s manner regarding the natives of the 
Yankiro was quiet and unoffending, and that 
he (Dr. Wilkins) would be ready to swear that 
the murdered man had never given provo- 
cation for the deed to any man or woman 
in the Yankiro. “How could Dr. Wilkins ex- 
plain the fact that neither he nor the servants 
seemed to have remarked the presence of the 
murderer? ” 

“ The night was dark. The lanterns lighted 
only the little stretch of road between the 
servants and ourselves. The murderer could 
easily have come up behind us without being 
seen. I was deep in conversation with Mr. 
Ashbourne, and even the servants were speak- 
ing together in a half whisper. I can easily 
understand how a slight sound could be over- 
looked, considering the soft ground of the 
moor, and particularly so, as it had been de- 


104 OtTft LITTLE WORLD. 

cided that the murderer wore sandals. I 
believe that he approached us without any 
noise whatever. The first sound which at- 
tracted my attention, I think, was the rustle 
of a garment worn by the murderer caused 
by his motion preparatory to the blow.” 

“What did you notice particularly about 
the murderer during his flight? ” 

“It was a man resembling a deer in the 
manner in which he seemed to bound from 
place to place, and in a moment’s time he dis- 
appeared completely in the night. I had no 
time to aim at him, although I carried a re- 
volver ready for use in my hand, and I fired 
at random only. He ran in the direction of 
the Japanese city, and wore the customary 
Japanese costume of some dark color. He 
seemed to me to be somewhat tall for a 
native. I am inclined to say from what few 
observations I could make that the man was 
an athlete.” 

“And you say, Dr. Wilkins, that the mur- 
derer must have used a Japanese sword ? ” 


our littlL world. 


105 


“Undoubtedly; there is no European weap- 
on of to-day that could be used with so much 
force as the one used to fell Daniel Ashbourne 
to the ground.” 

“Have you anything else to add to your 
statement? ” 

“ No, consul.” 

After Dr. Wilkins, James Jervis was called 
into the room. He was not feeling well, as 
Dr. Wilkins testified soon after his exami- 
nation began, and consequently the court 
granted him permission to be seated. Jervis 
did look miserably. He replied to the first 
necessary questions addressed him regarding 
his identity in a low tone of voice. His an- 
swers were short and connected, and given 
without the slightest hesitation. 

“James Jervis, you promise to tell the 
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the 
truth?” 

“So help me God ! ” 

“ Kiss the Bible.” 

James complied with the command. 


106 


OUR LITTLR WORLD. 


“What do you know about the murder of 
Daniel Ashbourne?” 

“I was sleeping when cries for help reached 
me faintly, followed immediately by two 
pistol shots fired in quick succession, and 
which banished the very thought of sleep 
from me. I went to the window and saw 
several lanterns in the middle of the moor 
just before me. I dressed myself quickly, and 
as I was feeling wretchedly and could not for 
a moment imagine the seriousness of the acci- 
dent, I awoke my groom, as he is the fleetest 
one of my servants on foot, and told him to 
run quickly to the spot where the lanterns 
were gathered and to bring me back word as 
soon as possible about what had occurred. 
The man was half asleep, and a few minutes 
elapsed before I saw him leave the house. In 
the meantime the other servants had become 
awakened, and my comprador came out and 
joined me on the veranda. Suddenly a little 
way from us we saw a man rush by in the 
direction of the Japanese city towards the 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


107 


hills. We could only see him a moment as 
he crossed the small patch of ground before 
the house. It was a Japanese or Chinaman, 
and not an European. I could see that dis- 
tinctly from his garments even in the short 
space of time he was visible to us. I called to 
my second groom and ordered him to pursue 
the man as rapidly as possible. I promised 
him a handsome sum of money if he could tell 
me what became of the man. Half a moment 
later he started out to overtake the murderer, 
but in about fifteen minutes he came back 
breathless, saying he* and run all the way to 
Hormura, a village near Yokohama, with- 
out having seen a living person. A few mo- 
ments later my first groom returned with the 
news of the murder of my neighbor. He as- 
sisted them to carry the body to Daniel Ash- 
bourne’s house, and that is all I can testify 
regarding the event.” 

The Chinese comprador of Jervis, who 
could not take an oath, was then called for- 
ward in order that the court might have 


108 OUR LITTLE WORLD. 

more information, testified to exactly what 
his master had said. About the personal ap- 
pearance of the man who had rushed by the 
house he could say nothing. All he could re- 
late was : “Something like a shadow darted 
by. In that moment I did not even recognize 
that it was a man, and just as Mr. Jervis was 
calling my attention to the fact, he disap- 
peared entirely. Even his footsteps were not 
to be heard.” 

Mr. Macdean, Mr. Ashbourne’s second 
neighbor, could say but very little also to- 
wards the explanation of the murder. He 
was awakened by the noise on the moor, got 
up and dressed quickly, and ran to the spot 
where the lanterns were. There he met Dr. 
Wilkins, Thomas Ashbourne, and two Japan- 
ese servants. Soon after Betto, Jervis’ serv- 
ant, arrived, and we all carried the body of 
Daniel Ashbourne to his house. He had not 
even had a glimpse of the murderer, but he 
remembered now having heard, while in his 
room, a slight noise as if some one were 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


109 


climbing a board fence. In that moment he 
paid no attention to it, as he was so anxious 
to reach the moor. 

Last of all Mr. Gilmore testified he left the 
English club a few moments before midnight 
to go home. As he turned into a side street 
he was nearly run over by a Japanese. He 
thought for a moment the man was going to 
attack him, but with one bound the man 
gained the other side of the street and disap- 
peared. He was a tall, slender man, but he 
(Gilmore) could not see his face, as, according 
to the Japanese custom, he had it covered 
with a cloth to the eyes. This ended the 
trial. 

The jury withdrew, and after an absence of 
fifteen minutes, they returned with a unani- 
mous verdict that according to the corrobo- 
rating statements of all the witnesses, Daniel 
Ashbourne, of Limerick, Ireland, was mur- 
dered on the night of the 12-1 3th of June, 
about midnight, when crossing the moor near # 
Yokohama, by an unknown assassin, who 


110 OUR LITTLE WORLD. 

employed a sharp, heavy instrument, prob- 
ably a Japanese sword, in committing the 
crime; and that the murderer, after the deed, 
seemed to escape in a westerly direction from 
the moor towards the Japanese city, and 
from there in an easterly direction towards 
the hills. Since then the murderer had found 
means to elude detection. 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


Ill 


CHAPTER IX. 

In the early morning of the following day 
Daniel Ashbourne was laid at rest. All the 
members of the English colony, and many 
Americans and Germans, were present at the 
funeral. Directly behind the casket, as first 
mourner, came Thomas Ashbourne with his 
head bowed way down with grief, — the 
brother of the murdered man. At his side 
walked Patrick Inish. Then came a long 
procession of the members of the foreign 
colony. 

Jervis had said to his physician, the evening 
of the day before, he felt too unwell to go 
to the funeral. Wilkins observed his patient 
would be more politic in not refusing to be 
present. “You were seen yesterday at the 
consul’s, and they know you are able to go 
out. Certainly unfriendly remarks would be 
made about your absence. Take my advice 
and go. I will not leave you a moment.” 

Jervis answered after a little that if it were 


112 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


possible he would go. He did attend the 
funeral, and every one saw that it was no 
easy matter for him to climb the steep hill on 
whose summit the church-yard lay. He looked 
ghastly and discomposed. Several times he 
stopped, breathing heavily, and passed his 
hand over his forehead, on which large drops 
of perspiration stood. Every one was grate- 
ful to him for making such an effort in order 
to pay the last respects to Daniel Ashbourne, 
and many of his companions who had 
avoided him for weeks came up and shook 
him by the hand and asked in a friendly man- 
ner how he felt. 

The cemetery was a wonderfully beautiful 
and peaceful spot; a lovely grove, which 
some time before had belonged to a Japanese 
temple, the ruins of which could be distinctly 
seen but a little way off. Trees, hundreds of 
years old, grew in this grove, and their 
powerful branches interlaced, forming a per- 
fect lattice-work of green, under which it was 
so peaceful, so quiet. On reaching the ceme- 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


113 


tery, which, seen from the valley, resembled a 
citadel, a magnificent panorama lay before 
one. The endless sea in front ; to the left was 
the city of Yokohama, and to the right the 
mountains of Hakkoni, whose highest peak, 
the crater of Fusi-Yama, towered over the 
surrounding country, and seemed to act as 
sentinel. The hill was very steep on the 
three sides just described. Indeed, in the 
direction of the sea and the city it seemed to 
form a perpendicular wall. Dwarf trees and 
hardy bushes had taken refuge in the crevices 
of the rock, and a sort of a greenish-black 
moss had provided the entire wall with a 
luxurious soft carpet. 

At the foot of the hill several small fishing 
huts had been built. The road which lay on 
the opposite side of the hill to the sea, and 
which led to the town, had been made to 
wind up the hill in a very zigzag manner. 

The foreign colony of Yokohama had had 
the cemetery surrounded by a high stone 
wall, and two Japanese watchmen were 


114 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


appointed, who lived in a little hut near the 
principal entrance, to protect the graves from 
desecration. 

The casket in which Daniel Ashbourne was 
at rest lay over the open grave. The clergy- 
man made a few remarks, read the prayers of 
the dead, and then by a sign gave the order 
to have the casket lowered. When this was 
done, the friends stepped to the open grave, 
and in compliance with an old custom, they 
threw a handful of earth on the lid. “Dust 
to dust.” Thomas Ashbourne and Patrick 
Inish, who had done it first, stepped a little 
aside and remained immovable on the brink 
of the grave. Ashbourne’s gaze seemed to 
be riveted on the casket covered with fresh 
flowers and branches; whereas Inish’s eyes 
were fixed mechanically upon the spot where 
one after another came, and as if to take a 
parting greeting, stooped over the grave and 
then silently returned to their places. The 
solemn procession lasted some moments in 
the midst of a death-like silence, made all the 


OtJR LITTLE WORLD. 


115 


more terrible by the thud of the earth as it 
fell on the casket. Quiet, suppressed sobs 
broke the silence, and from the sea very 
faintly and distant, like the pendulum motion 
of some immense clock, the uninterrupted 
stroke of oars which was carrying a boat be- 
yond the cliff, reached their ears. As in a 
dream, Inish saw the strangers come and go 
from his master’s grave ; but suddenly a wild 
expression came over his death-like face. His 
eyes were dilated and seemed riveted on the 
man who, staggering, was intent on leaving 
the grave. Inish’s entire figure gave proof of 
a terrible inward struggle. He opened his 
mouth and his lips moved convulsively, as if 
endeavoring to recall something, but no 
sound w T as audible. He stood there a mo- 
ment. His face took on an indescribable ex- 
pression. At last he stretched out his arm, 
and with a trembling finger he pointed to 
Jervis, stammering in a whisper, “Hell — Hel- 
lington;’’ and then, as if suddenly freed from a 
spell, his voice rang out, breaking in upon the 


116 


OtJR LITTLE WORLD. 


great silence which reigned in the cemetery in 
a frightful manner, in a shrill, wild cry, 
“Murder, murder! Hellington! Help!” For 
a second all eyes were fastened on Inish, and 
then followed the direction of his trembling- 
finger. Some one who had stood in the large 
circle around the grave disappeared suddenly, 
and seemed to leap from tree to tree, in order 
to be hidden and for protection. 

This white fleeing figure was visible every 
now and then in the open spaces, and re- 
sembled a closely-pursued animal. His one 
idea seemed to be to gain the wall on the' side 
of the hill which led to Yokohama. All had 
started in pursuit, and the grave was entirely 
forsaken. Only the minister still remained, 
and he craned his neck to see the result of the 
chase. 

There was one person, however, who did 
not join the others in the race, and that was 
the consul’s constable, who had formerly been 
an excellent London policeman in his day. 
He had succeeded in capturing many a crim- 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


117 


inal, and who alone retained his self-posses- 
sion in the midst of the great excitement, 
reasoning with himself the improbability of 
all escape, if it were not to be found on the 
road leading from the cemetery to Yoko- 
hama, and in consequence of this soliloquy he- 
turned his steps to the gate where the fugi- 
tive would be obliged to pass on account of 
the steepness of the other sides of the hill. 

Jervis had quite a head start of his pur- 
suers. Now he was only a few feet distant 
from the wall, and as nimble as a cat he took 
the jump. His hands, fortunately for him, 
reached the top of the wall, so he drew 
himself quickly upon it. He sat there for 
about the tenth part of a second ; then he slid 
down on the other side and disappeared en- 
tirely. Those in pursuit of him reached the 
place where they had last seen him. Some 
managed with difficulty to climb the wall. 
There they only saw the narrow, winding 
footpath which seemed to lead to the ceme- 


118 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


terv, and then directly behind it the terrible 
precipice. 

“He must have broken his neck. He is be- 
hind some tree. He cannot escape from us.” 

The consul, remembering his dignity was to 
be sustained, and at the same time his duties 
as a consul must be fulfilled, was more calm 
than the others. Those near him he drew 
aside and explained that Jervis must be 
chasing round the cemetery. The constable 
being stationed at the only exit, there is no 
hopes of his reaching Yokohama, and the 
best thing for them to do was to divide them- 
selves in two sections, to climb the wall, and 
start in opposite directions to make the 
round of the cemetery, so as to be certain of 
cornering Jervis. 

Ashbourne and Inish, who had listened 
attentively to the consul, were the first over 
the wall. The others followed in quick suc- 
cession. When all were over, they formed 
two bodies, one of which was under the 
leadership of Mitchell, whereas Ashbourne 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


119 


commanded the other, and they started, one 
to the right, the other to the left. The path- 
way was very narrow ; on one side being the 
mountain and the other the precipice so often 
referred to. In some places the sides of the 
mountain seemed to be perfectly perpendicu- 
lar, and where the least dangerous it seemed 
an impossibility for a person to reach the 
bottom without being killed. Often this little 
band was obliged to grasp hold of shrubs 
and the mountain side itself for support, in 
order to pass in safety the most perilous 
places. One careless step would have been 
certain death. No tree, no corner where man 
could possibly find a refuge, was overlooked, 
and so it happened that despite the great zeal 
displayed by the young people in making the 
round of the cemetery, a quarter of an hour 
elapsed before both parties met at the gate. 
As soon as they came in sight of each other, 
they cried, “Unsuccessful ! ” 

The policeman declared that Mr. Jervis had 
not been visible on the path leading to the 


120 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


city. “Well, then, he has fallen over the 
rocks, and we will find him at the bottom.” 
They all ran down the hill. Quite a detour 
had to be made to reach the huts which were 
situated at the foot of the rocks. All was 
perfectly still. In vain they searched for 
the mutilated remains they expected to find 
there. 

Half-naked fishermen and their families 
stood in the door-ways and looked curiously 
at the heated and excited strangers. One 
Japanese began to speak, and they all listened 
attentively. 

“Mr. Jervis,” he said thoughtfully. “I 
know him very well, indeed. We have often 
sailed away out into the sea during heavy 
storms. Here, before my own door, I saw 
him not half an hour ago. He came down 
the rocks. How, that I cannot answer. I 
heard stones and earth come rolling down. 
I jumped up and ran to the door, and found 
him standing before me with bloody hands 
and torn clothes, and the next moment he 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 121 

disappeared. He ran in the direction of Yo- 
kohama.” 

The sun shone down in a relentless manner. 
Many of the strangers were perfectly ex- 
hausted, and took boats to go back to Yoko- 
hama. Only Ashbourne, Inish, Mitchell and 
the policeman started on a run toward the 
city. Jervis’ house was the first reached on 
returning from the cemetery. Jervis could 
have gained this without being seen, if he, as 
it was very probable, had crossed the moor, 
which at that hour was perfectly deserted on 
account of the lack of a single tree, instead of 
taking the street. The pursuers ran into the 
yard, where everything bore the appearance 
of perfect quiet. The large folding doors and 
windows of the bungaloo, (built in true Jap- 
anese style,) with one story only, stood wide 
open, so that everyone could look all through 
the house. It was perfectly empty. Before 
the stable door they found Jervis’ first groom 
crouched together smoking a pipe. He rose 
quickly as soon as he recognized the English 


122 OUR LITTLR WORLD. 

consul among the strangers, and was pre- 
pared to answer all questions to the best of 
his ability. 

He said Mr. Jervis had returned from the 
cemetery some little time ago. 

“ How long exactly ? ” 

“ Well, not quite an hour perhaps. He then 
opened the stable door suddenly and ordered 
Tautai to be saddled. He rushed into the 
house and appeared soon after with a little 
bundle which he easily fastened upon the 
saddle. He sprang on his horse and soon dis- 
appeared across the moor in the direction of 
Kanagana and Yeddo.” 

“ What did he have in his bundle ? ” 

“Japanese clothing and a sword, I think.” 

“ How was Mr. Jervis dressed ? ” 

“He wore a thin, white garment.” 

“Was he armed ? ” 

“ He carried a revolver and a heavy riding 
whip with an iron handle.” 

Consul Mitchell hastened to the govern- 
ment of Yokohama in order to notify the 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


123 


police authorities of the occurrence, so that 
they might start in pursuit of Jervis immedi- 
ately, and in the meantime Ashbourne and 
his companions entered the house. In his 
workroom they found his safe wide open. 
The key was still in the lock. The safe con- 
tained letters, account books, and quite a 
sum of money in gold. Some Japanese gold 
was lying on the mat. In the midst of his 
precipitated flight, Jervis had not forgotten 
to supply himself abundantly with 'money. 
In his bed room the commode stood wide 
open. On the ground lay a pair of trousers 
and a white coat, torn, soiled, and covered 
with blood. The other room Jervis had evi- 
dently not entered. Nothing could be discov- 
ered from the Japanese servants. 

Jervis had been a strict master, who only 
spoke to his servants when necessary in giv- 
ing a command. They had seen him enter the 
house, and from his appearance they knew 
some accident must have occurred, but even 
his valet had not ventured to follow him in 


124 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


his bed room, as Jervis had once said unless a 
servant was especially called, no one should 
enter his room without running the risk of 
being discharged upon the spot. It was very 
evident that they were not trying to conceal 
anything, and so for the time they were no 
longer tormented with questions. The Japan- 
ese police did all in their power to capture 
the murderer, but at that time telegraphic 
communications and railroads were unknown 
in Japan. Jervis had made good use of his 
head start, as no traces could be found of 
him in the environs of Yokohama. 

Three days after his disappearance, the 
well-known Tautai appeared early in the 
morning in Yokohama without its rider. It 
seemed to be perfectly exhausted, and went 
slowly through the streets; but when several 
Japanese ran up to it, Tautai resented the 
interference by infuriated kicks, and trotted 
slowly back to the stable. There it stood 
perfectly quiet while being unharnessed, and 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


125 


refusing all food, it lay down whinnying in a 
piteous manner. 

It was an easy matter for the Japanese 
officials to discover the road by which this 
horse returned. In several villages the in- 
habitants had noticed a little white pony, 
and had attempted to catch it. Toward 
evening the officials reached the little inn 
which once before in this narrative has been 
referred to as the place where Jervis disap- 
peared at the time of the races to make some 
alterations in his appearance. The landlady 
was evidently greatly embarrassed when she 
saw the officials. These addressed her in a 
very abrupt manner ; and, as it was then the 
custom in Japan, threatened her with the 
prison and the pillory if she did not at once 
acknowledge where Jervis was in hiding, long 
before the poor woman could have had time 
for the slightest feeling of mistrust. She 
threw herself trembling on her knees, and in 
a scarcely audible whisper she told all she 
knew, 


126 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


The stranger, whose name she did not even 
know, had come to her house quite often dur- 
ing the last year. Occasionally he had taken 
a cup of tea and eaten fish and rice, but gen- 
erally he had only called for a towel and 
water with which to wash his face and hands. 
He had always paid her liberally, and was 
not wild and aggressive like the other stran- 
gers, but had always conducted himself like 
a Japanese nobleman. Three days ago he ap- 
peared at an unusually early hour in the 
morning. His horse, which was covered with 
foam, was unheeded. He did not unsaddle 
nor lead it into the stable, as was his wont, 
but gave it to his landlady to hold. He went 
into the house and a few minutes afterwards 
came out dressed like a Japanese officer. He 
sprang on his horse and rode up the steep 
path which leads into the mountains. After 
his disappearance she entered the inn and 
found his white garments under the mat, 
which she (the landlady) would give over im- 
mediately to the officers. That was all she 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


127 


knew, and she pleaded that they would not 
injure her, as she was a poor woman who 
lived in great fear of the law. However, the 
officials were not entirely satisfied, and the 
poor woman, who was fearing the worst, 
was carried off to Yokohama to relate every- 
thing she knew to the English consul ; but her 
testimony bore so unmistakably the stamp 
of truth, that after Mr. Mitchell had heard 
her and consulted with Ashbourne, he begged 
that she might be released, which petition 
was immediately granted. After leaving the 
inn, all traces of the fugitive were lost. Not 
in a single neighboring village had any one 
seen the stranger. The search was continued 
for several days, and then, as every one saw 
how useless it was, the interest gradually 
died out, and soon the very thought of trac- 
ing Jervis was abandoned. The English gov- 
ernment set a price of 500 rios (2,000 marks) 
on the murderer’s head, but even that proved 
useless. 

By examining Jervis’ papers it seemed that 


128 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


he had lived a long time in America, and that 
he had adopted the name of Jervis about four 
years before. What name he had assumed 
during the year which had elapsed between 
that period and his flight from Europe could 
not be ascertained. The passport which he 
had presented on his arrival had been either 
stolen or purchased (as the detectives traced) 
from a worthless adventurer who had been 
connected with some gold mine in California. 
If this vagabond were the identical Jervis of 
Singapore Mr. Mitchell used to know could 
not be determined. Weeks rolled by and were 
succeeded by months. The dead are soon 
forgotten, and the members of this little for- 
eign colony would not have even thought 
of Daniel Ashbourne, whom they had not 
known but for a few days, were it not for the 
two men who seemed bowed down to the 
ground under the terrible calamity, — Thomas 
Ashbourne and Patrick Inish. These figures 
served to remind one that a disgraceful act 
had not been revenged, 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


129 


CHAPTER X. 

Great excitement reigned about this time in 
Japan. This island kingdom, which, shut out 
from the rest of the world, had prospered in a 
mysterious manner beyond all anticipations, 
was suddenly filled by strangers who at- 
temped to capture it. 

The government wisely endured these in- 
truders, as they justly feared that entering 
into a war with one of the powers from the 
West meant certain ruin to them. But even 
the enemies, as well as the supporters, of the 
present ruling Taikum, in speaking of Japan 
in its former glory as the proud Nippo and as 
the Kingdom of the Rising Sun, said that 
it (the kingdom) would have been strong 
enough to drive out the intruders who, un- 
bidden, had taken up their abode there at the 
point of the sword, so that the ocean alone 
could offer them the means of an easier 
death. 

They accused the Taikum of having hum- 


130 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


bled Japan by being the successor of a usurper 
who, in some underhanded manner, had suc- 
ceeded in obtaining for himself the sacred 
power of the true Emperor of Japan, the 
Mikado, and they demanded that he should 
abdicate of his own free will, or they threat- 
ened by force to cause his downfall. Discon- 
tent reached its highest pitch in the provinces 
of Satzuma and Mito, where rebellion was 
preached in the open streets. Minomoto, the 
reigning Taikum, endeavored, but in vain, to 
win back the rebellious Prince. His pleadings 
and exhortations met with no response, and 
his threats were replied to by troops being 
summoned on the frontier of the provinces. 
Then followed the assassination of the Em- 
peror, and public opinion pointed to the 
Prince of Meto as the assassin. 

The successor to the Taikum, Prince Yesado, 
was not yet of age, and consequently Prince 
Ikamono-Kami was appointed Gotairo, — that 
is, regent, — but now the long threatened in- 
surrection broke out. Japan resembled now 


OUR LUTTLR WORLD. 


131 


only a large barrack, where the supporters of 
the Taikum and those of the Mikado stood 
with drawn swords. Often the news came to 
Yokohama of bloody combats in which the 
victories were about evenly divided between 
the two sides, and this was a matter of par- 
ticular interest to the foreign colony, as it was 
frequently reported English and Americans 
had espoused one side or the other, and were 
fighting with as much interest as the Japan- 
ese themselves. Occasionally their names 
would be given, and it was discovered they 
were in most cases reckless adventurers who 
had already distinguished themselves in China 
during the war against the Taiping rebels. 

The government of Yokohama had com- 
plained several times to the English consul 
that the strangers had taken up the quarrel 
of the Daimios, and that they went into the 
fields to fight against the government of the 
Taikum; also in consequence of their superior 
knowledge in the technicalities of war, they 
added, greatly to the difficulties experienced 


132 OUR LITTLE WORLD. 

by the government in repressing the rebell- 
ion. 

The European officials were perfectly help- 
less to guard against the event. They knew 
that here and there one of their compatriots 
had suddenly disappeared from Yokohama, 
and the supposition was they had sold them- 
selves to the rebels, and were now inSatzuma 
or Mito exposing themselves to the dangers 
of being killed, or else, after several months, 
returned in secrecy' to China with their dear- 
ly-earned wages. 

From different verbal descriptions they 
could form quite an accurate idea of the life 
of these adventurers in the Japanese barrack. 
They were recognized immediately as officers, 
and received the greatest possible deference 
from the hands of the natives; but they, in 
their turn, expected that these officers would 
go into battle perfectly regardless of death. 
In all dangerous expeditions these foreigners 
were always elected to command the troops 
and their movements. If they should refuse 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


133 


to comply they would be immediately dis- 
missed from the army, and would have been 
banished from the barrack. In other words, 
they would have been given over to the gov- 
ernment of the Taikum. Accordingly, all 
strangers entering this army must needs pos- 
sess the greatest amount of personal bravery. 
It was a recognized fact in Japan, that, al- 
though the natives might not equal the for- 
eigners as far as bravery and manly defiance 
were concerned, yet they far surpassed them 
in their enduring courage and their indiffer- 
ence to death. 

In the so-called civilized world, human life 
is considered to be priceless, but to the bar- 
baric and the half-civilized nations it is gov- 
erned greatly by capriciousness and arbitra- 
riness, and is consequently regarded as ap- 
parently worthless. This is the secret of the 
stoical quiet with which an Asiatic awaits 
death, or with which he sacrifices his life. 

Gotairo, the regent of Japan, had been en- 
grossed ever since the murder had been per- 


134 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


petrated on Minomoto to suppress the rebell- 
ion, and to arrive at this result, he had not 
hesitated to adopt severe measures against 
the rebellious Daimios, and these recognized 
immediately their bitterest enemy in him, and 
were prepared to embrace any means, be it 
foul play or fair, to get rid of him. 

The Gotairo knew his life was in danger, 
and only appeared in the streets of Yeddo 
surrounded by those of his body-guard he 
knew he could rely on. 

On a dreary fall day, about four months 
after the murder of Daniel Ashbourne, twelve 
men, coming from different directions, congre- 
gated but a short distance from the royal 
castle at Yeddo. Each one carried two 
swords in his belt, and by these were recog- 
nized as belonging to the nobility. The 
weather was disagreeable and cold. It was 
raining and storming generally, and the 
streets which surrounded the castle, and in 
which no traffic was permitted, were per- 
fectly forsaken. These armed noblemen, after 


Otm LITTLE WORLD. 


135 


conversing together for a moment, passed 
under the large gate-way of the palace of the 
Daimio, which was situated on one of the 
principal streets, and at the corner of a nar- 
rower one. The men seemed to be waiting for 
the rain, which came down in torrents, to 
abate somewhat before undertaking another 
move. Their presence in the neighborhood of 
the castle attracted no attention, as the resi- 
dent city was full of noblemen, and as the 
residents themselves were accustomed to see 
these armed idlers at any hour of the day or 
night in the streets, and particularly so in 
the quarter occupied by the monarch and his 
suite. After having waited quietly for half 
an hour, these men saw about one hundred 
soldiers turn into the principal streets, bear- 
ing an immense litter, which sixteen men 
were carrying. The remainder of the number 
serving as escort to the so-called norimino. 
This little procession moved solemnly for- 
ward in the midst of the most profound 
silence. 


136 


OUR LiTELE WORLD. 


As soon as the little group gathered under 
the gate-way espied the beginning of the pro- 
cession, one of them, who was nearly a head 
taller than his companions, stepped forward, 
looked scrutinizingly around, and then com- 
municated some short commands to the 
others, who had closely watched every one of 
his movements. These strolled quietly off in 
groups of twos toward the entrance of the 
narrow street, and took up their position 
against the wall of the palace, as if seeking 
for protection under its overhanging roof 
against the weather. 

They were men rather under the ordinary 
stature, with weather-browned, wild-looking 
faces, and black, snapping eyes. Only the 
tallest, who seemed to be their leader, was 
fair, and noticeably so. His light complexion 
seemed fairly in contrast with those of his 
dark companions. The tout ensemble had 
something striking in his appearance, as well 
as something exceedingly refined. All of his 
members were slight and exquisitely formed. 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 137 

His gait was as easy and elastic as that of 
an animal of prey might be. 

The royal procession approached the palace. 
As sort of out-runners, four powerful men, 
who were the Prince’s athletes, walked some- 
what in advance. They seemed to rock back- 
wards and forwards in walking, and cast con- 
temptuous glances on all those they passed. 
These powerful leaders were closely followed 
by men carrying bows and arrows, hellaban- 
des and pikes; then came standard-bearers, 
whose ensign was the feared but well-known 
coat of arms of Gotairo Ikamono-Kami, the 
regent of Japan. The soldiers proper, who 
marched directy before and behind their mas- 
ter in a body without any particular attempt 
at order, were well enveloped in large mantles, 
which were to protect their garments, and 
more particularly their costly weapons, from 
the rain. They held their heads down, and 
seemed to loiter along carelessly and in an 
unconcerned manner, and their faces pro- 
trayed decided discontent. Two servants 


138 


OUR LlTTLL WORLD. 


walked at the right next to the litter, bearing 
a long box, which contained the swords of 
the person of rank, who, carelessly stretched 
out in his norimino, was making his entrance 
into Yeddo. 

The litter was only a few feet distant from 
the alley in which the twelve men were 
crouching. The leader gave a peculiar cry, 
and instantaneously eight of the number, 
with drawn swords, rushed to the royal lit- 
ter without uttering a sound, whereas the 
other three remained with their leader on the 
corner of the aforesaid alley. 

In a moment’s time the line of the surprised 
body-guard was broken through, and several 
of the soldiers bearing the litter were cut 
down. The norimino fell heavily to the 
ground, and the regent, leaning out of the 
door, called for his swords. Before he could 
even take them, a powerful blow nearly sev- 
ered his head from his body, and he fell to the 
ground dead. Those accompanying theGotai- 
ro could do nothing to defend the life of their 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


139 


master. Those carrying the litter were un- 
armed, whereas the soldiers were so wrapped 
in their cloaks as to be able to draw their 
swords only after the deed had been commit- 
ted ; but now they threw themselves on these 
bravoes with drawn swords and a scream of 
rage. A short encounter ensued, in which 
five of the noblemen and several of the guard 
were killed. The three surviving murderers 
fought their way bravely back to the al- 
ley where their companions were mounting 
guard, and who so far had been only specta- 
tors, but were ready to fight and willing to 
face death. The little band which guarded 
the entrance to the alley opened a moment to 
receive the three whose task had been accom- 
plished, and who disappeared immediately on 
a fast run in some safe nook, which had 
probably been determined upon before and 
offered by one of the numerous secret enemies 
of the Gotairo living in Yeddo. In order to 
further the flight, the four remaining fought 
bravely against an over-powering number, 


140 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


One had already fallen on his knees desper- 
ately wounded, and the others were bleeding 
from numerous wounds. 

Suddenly the leader repeated the short cry 
he had given as a signal for the commence- 
ment of the attack. The three still surviving 
bravoes attempted to flee, but two of them 
were quickly overtaken and murdered by the 
pursuers. The third, which happened to be 
the leader, had a good head start, and by 
every one of his powerful jumps, the distance 
between himself and his enemies increased 
perceptibly. He had already passed two side 
alleys and turned, like one perfectly certain of 
his way, into the third to the left. After run- 
ning for about two hundred paces he stopped 
suddenly and looked around him in a confused 
way. He found himself in an alley possessing 
no exit. He turned around and ran back to 
rectify the fatal mistake, if it were possible, 
but too late. Already his enemies turned into 
the street, and with a cry of triumph they all 
rushed at him, Once more he turned his back 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 141 

on them and ran back, looking from right to 
left, hoping for some means of escape. The 
closed houses on both sides of the street 
formed a solid wall. Now he had reached the 
end of the street and of his life. Up to the 
last second he had not fully despaired, but 
now he knew there was no help, and that he, 
too, must die. He leaned against the wall 
which cut off his hopes of escape. Breathing 
heavily, he still possessed presence of mind 
enough to acquire a firm footing, and grasp- 
ing the bloody handle of his sword with both 
hands, he stood there, point downwards, 
preparatory to striking a death -bringing 
blow, awaiting his murderers. These hesi- 
tated a moment. Such a look of energy and 
power lay in this fair, strange face which con- 
fronted them with clear, piercing eyes. 

The noise ceased, the prisoner stood motion- 
less, awaiting the attack, and his own death. 
The silence seemed to increase every second. 
Not a sound of any description was to be 
heard, and the perfect quiet reminded one pf 


142 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


the cemetery on the day when Daniel Ash- 
bourne was buried, and when Inish, with 
trembling finger, pointed to the murderer 
of his master, calling “Hellington, murder, 
help ! ” 

This man, hunted from one end of the world 
to the other, seemed to hear these words in 
the raging of the storm and the falling of the 
rain. 

An arrow fluttered through the air, and for 
a moment it seemed to tremble after striking 
the left breast of the victim. A second longer 
he remained motionless, then his hands 
opened, powerless to hold the sword, which 
fell to the ground. His arms, resembling the 
wings of an imprisoned eagle, raised them- 
selves slowly, and then fell back again. A 
perfect veil seemed to come over the already 
death-like visage, white as marble. A little 
stream of light blood came out of the quiv- 
ering mouth. A shudder ran through his en- 
tire frame. He raised his arms again with a 
great effort, but they fell perfectly powerless 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


143 


to his side, and in the same moment he fell 
face downward, breaking the arrow in his 
fall. All was over for him. 

On the day after the murder of the Gotairo 
the members of the foreign council at Yoko- 
hama received a visit from the Japanese Gov- 
ernor, who gave them a concise description 
of the tragic event in Yokohama. His call 
lasted ten minutes longer at Consul Mitch- 
ell’s, as, after the description of the death 
of the Gotairo, he told him the leader of the 
band which had attacked the regent was an 
English subject, and that they thought him 
to be Mr. Jervis. After his death, the fair 
skin of his body showed him to be a stranger. 

A Japanese officer now stationed in Yeddo, * 
but who, a short time ago, had resided in 
Yokohama, suspected him to be the mur- 
derer of Daniel Ashbourne. Under the circum- 
stances, the Governor informed Consul Mitch- 
ell he wished he would go to Yeddo to inspect 
the body, or, if he preferred, the body could 

be brought to Yokohama for identification. 

10 


144 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


The consul expressed a wish to go immedi- 
ately to Yed do ; the sooner the better. Where- 
upon the Governor replied a mounted escort 
would await him in half an hour at the gate- 
way of Yokohama to conduct him to the 
spot where the body of the stranger was 
laid at present. For a moment Mr. Mitchell 
thought of asking Thomas Ashbourne to ac- 
company him, but he abandoned this idea. 
The poor Djusanban had become a sad, de- 
pressed man since the death of his brother. 
Mitchell decided it would be a kindness to 
spare him the sight of the body of the man 
who had caused him such terrible suffering; 
consequently the consul invited his neighbor, 
young Gilmore, to ride over to Yeddo with 
him. He acquiesced quietly, and the two, 
followed by four Japanese officers, reached 
Yeddo after a sharp ride of three hours, and 
were conducted by the chief of the escort to 
the palace of the Taikum. It was already 
growing dusk as they approached the walls 
and ditches which, according to the Japanese 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


145 


idea, made the castle perfectly impregnable. 
After they had crossed the bridge on horse- 
back they were invited to dismount, as the 
Taikum possessed the right alone of going 
across the court-yard on horseback. 

A young officer joined them, greeted our 
two acquaintances pleasantly, and requested 
them to follow him. He walked on silently 
A solemn, death-like stillness reigned in the 
court-yard, which was so perfectly forsaken, 
and which they were obliged to traverse. A 
large pile of buildings they went by seemed 
to be lifeless. Nowhere was a human being 
visible. 

At last the three reached the wooden shed, 
before whose open door two soldiers were 
crouching down, each holding a paper lantern 
ready to light. The}- did so, and all stepped 
into a room where the close air seemed to 
forbid respiration. The servants moved to 
the other end of the shed. They took up their 
position on either side of a formless heap 
which lay upon the ground, covered with an 


146 OUR LITTLE WORLD. 

old piece of Japanese matting. The officer 
moved the mat aside with his foot, exposing 
a shining, white body. The servants held the 
lanterns closely against the pale face, which 
seemed to take on an expression of perfect 
peace in the yellow light. 

“Jervis,” Mitchell and Gilmore whispered. 

He did not resemble a murderer. Death 
had ennobled and softened the face which just 
a moment before his death had glared so 
fiercely at his enemies. An expression of per- 
fect rest lay on it. A little blue-black hole 
was visible on the left side of the breast, sur- 
rounded by a slight swelling. It was where 
the arrow, which pierced Jervis to the heart, 
had broken off. Early the next day the body 
was taken to the spot where the bodies of 
the murderers of the Gotairo had been buried 
the preceding day. 

There, in the cemetery of criminals, Jervis- 
Hellington has at last found the spot which 
belonged to him, and he has lain there for 
twenty years. Long ago Thomas Ashbourne 


OtFR little world. 


147 


and Patrick Inish disappeared from Japan, 
and only a few still remember their names. 
Inish is dead, and after many years Thomas 
conquered his great grief. He has returned 
to his home, and every year during the sea- 
son he goes to London, where, at the Oriental 
clubs, he meets wanderers from the East, and 
with whom he gladly discusses the good old 
times in Japan. His gay disposition disap- 
peared with his youth, as is so often the case ; 
but one could scarcely call him a sad man. 
Jervis’ name has not crossed his lips for many 
years. 

A legend has sprung up in Japan which has 
for its heroes the nine worthless noblemen 
who attacked the Gotairo in the midst of his 
guards in broad daylight and in an open 
street, and who, in consequence, forfeited 
their own lives. 

The Taikum has fallen. The Mikado, be- 
longing to the race of the gods and who is 
Japan’s legitimate Emperor, rules on the 
throne over the Kingdom of the Rising Sun. 


148 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


His former enemies appear in the history of 
the day as despicable rebels, whereas those 
who, twenty years ago, ventured first to es- 
pouse the good cause, and who died for it, 
are regarded as heroes and martyrs. Very 
near the spot where the nine Lonin lie, re- 
garded as criminals, a small temple has been 
erected in memory of those who fell in the 
service of the Mikado, and which is sur- 
rounded by a charming garden, carefully at- 
tended. The summer season finds it gay with 
many-colored flowers. On one of the graves, 
which lies somewhat apart from the others, 
a camelia has been planted, whose red and 
white blossoms begin blooming often in win- 
ter. That is the grave of the leader of the 
Lonin. No one knows his name. His origin 
seems wrapped in obscurity as profound as 
that of the imaginary warriors of yore ; but 
the ever-busy, legend-loving people relate how 
his terrible glance stayed his murderers so 
that no one dared touch him until at last, 
pierced by a poisoned arrow, he fell face 


OUR LITTLE WORLD. 


149 


downward, and his fearless soul took its 
flight. 

The right of gazing on this face, conquered 
only by death, seemed justly reserved to the 
merciful mother earth alone. 






















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